A Paladin's Oath
by StoryMakerr014
Summary: "You know, Onii-chan, I had another dream last night. In my dream, there was a floating castle in the sky..." In which Kayaba Akihiko's dream was not his own, and the Death Game was instigated by a monster born out of that dream.
1. Prologue: A Dream and A Nightmare

**Prologue: A Dream and A Nightmare**

She was like a flower; beautiful, delicate, and fragile.

"You know, Onii-chan, I've had another dream last night..."

The boy looked up from his plate and smiled. His sister had always been like this. Dreaming dreams which could never be turned into reality. Every morning during breakfast such as this one, she would tell him and their parents about her 'adventures' in different worlds. Once, she was a princess who had to be saved. Another time, she was a knight who protected others.

"Really, Ayako-chan? And what have you dreamt? Are you a queen this time?" He intended it as a joke, but his sister's expression was serious.

"No," she answered with a frown. "It was actually strange. In my dream, I saw a castle floating in the sky. It was made of steel, and there were cities inside."

The boy blinked, then chuckled in amusement. "A floating castle made of steel? How does that work?"

"I don't know. But that's why it's a dream, isn't it?"

The boy was quiet. Yes, it was a dream. For reality could not produce something as bizarre as a steel castle floating in the sky. Reality had rules and limitations which governed life and death for all things, and no one had the power to resist the inevitable. It was the same for his sister.

They ate in tranquil silence. Their parents had left early for work, leaving him to take care of her alone. Ayako had always been weak, easily getting tired during most activities. Every thing she would do, someone needed to be beside her all the time.

After finishing their meal, he left Ayako to sit beside the window in the living room while he washed the plates. It had been a daily routine for their family; while their parents work, the siblings would stay in the house until noon, when the boy would go to middle school. Ayako, due to her condition, was forced to quit studying a year ago. She had been saddened by the incident, and was inconsolable for a whole week until she finally learned to live with it. Since then, she never left the house much and would simply look outside the windows in longing.

When the boy had cleaned the dishes, he went to check on his sister. As always, she sat on the sofa, gazing outside with a peaceful expression. It was her sole connection to the outside world. Though she could still walk, her body could not handle the stress of a long travel. Even a stroll in the park fifteen minutes away from their house would leave her breathless.

He frowned as he silently approached. There was something different about Ayako today. Instead of watching the streets and neighboring houses like she usually did, her eyes were cast upward into the sky, as if she was looking at something among the clouds.

"Found a plane yet?" The boy and sat next to her. Ayako's arms rested on the headrest of the sofa, her chin propped against the back of her hands.

"Nah," she answered without looking.

They were quiet for some time, watching the clouds rolled by.

"Hey, Onii-chan?"

"Hmmm?" The boy glanced at her. She was still staring into the sky, but there was a faint gleam in her eyes.

"Do you think it's possible in the future to turn dreams into reality?"

The boy pondered her question. Was it possible? He didn't know. Even now when the world had advanced technology, the world of dreams was still beyond their understanding. Of all the organs human possessed, the brain was still a mysterious part of the body despite centuries of study. "I don't know," he admitted and followed her gaze. "We don't have the capabilities yet. Maybe after a hundred years, we could."

Ayako let out a low hum. "You're right. Maybe dreams are just that, dreams. But you know…" she sighed, and a faint smile formed on her lips.

"It would be nice if we could live in a floating castle in the sky."

* * *

Akihiko Kayaba strode along the bustling main streets of the Town of Beginnings with a look of satisfaction on his face.

He had spent 12 years creating this world, and now it was fully realized—a virtual world where people could enjoy another reality separate from the real one.

Kayaba could still remember the look of incredulity on his professor when he presented the proposal on this exact date, November 6 . The expression of utter shock on Professor Shigemura's face followed by a cascade of questions that lasted a full thirty minutes was still fresh in his mind. After all, his project was not just virtually almost impossible, it was also an insane idea.

Virtual Reality, but not one where you had to remain conscious while wearing ridiculous-looking goggles on your head. Instead, his idea was to create an actual digital environment where a person could live separated from his own body, fulfilling what many people had wished for ever since the first VR gadget was introduced on the market. It was hard at first, but he never gave up. And in the end, he had done what many thought was impossible.

Of course, it was not without setbacks. The cost to fund the project was overwhelming, not to mention the effects it would have on the world. If people could now live in virtual reality, how it would affect their lives in the real one? Would they choose to stay or would they leave it completely to be reborn in another world? Those were just some of the moral questions he had to face while overseeing the project.

So he came up with an idea to test out those questions: a virtual reality game, and the first ever in the history of technology and gaming.

Upon the launch of its beta, _Sword Art Online_ took Japan by storm. To become another person fighting ferocious monsters in a fantasy setting was every gamer's wish. And not just become that person, but to live in a different body that was yours yet not yours, without pain, achieving feats no one could in real life, it was heaven indeed.

Kayaba smiled. Of course, that had always been his plan, and now he had fulfilled it. All that had to be done now was to watch as others enjoy the world he had been so obsessed with for almost half of his life.

Garbed in a tunic and trousers ensemble with a breastplate covering his muscled chest, he wandered around the city while admiring the view. The Town of Beginnings was modeled like a typical fantasy medieval city with high stone walls and cobblestone paths. The houses were all brick and stone, rising no higher than three stories. He wanted the design to be simple since this was the first city, although he would admit that he made it the largest one in all of Aincrad.

Currently, there were 8,000 players logged in, with more arriving as the minutes past SAO's official launch time trickled by until it reached 10,000. The Town of Beginnings was designed to hold twice that, and once more copies of the game were produced, he expected the size to double within the next two months, if not by Christmas. The fact that all printed copies were sold out two days after its release proved how many people wanted to play this game badly.

He stopped in the Teleport Gate Plaza, taking in the sight. It was almost empty save for several dozens of players who just sat in the benches or simply stood in amazement. Like him, they were enjoying how very real this world was. There was even a chestnut-haired girl wide-eyed with wonder, occassionally pinching herself as if to confirm whether this was all a dream. It made him chuckle how people perceive reality depending on what they believe, instead of what they were currently sensing. He hoped that their time in SAO would change that notion of theirs.

A flash of white drew his attention. At the edge of his vision he saw a snow-haired girl dragging a boy by his hands toward the Merchant District. The girl was long-haired, with eyes as red as rubies, while the boy had a timid look and hair colored like a decaying leaf. They seemed to be arguing about something, and though they were 100 feet away, Kayaba could hear them just fine even without the Listening skill.

"Yuna, this is Sword Art Online. Not _Music_ Art Online," the boy said in exasperation. "You can't find a music shop here!"

"Eh-kun, they said there are as many skills here as there are stars in the sky. Music can't be not a part of the list!"

The boy grumbled. "Don't call me that. My name here is Nautilus."

Kayaba tilted his head in interest. True, there were some Music skills included in the game, some possessing useful buffs. He had always intended SAO to be a world where everyone could be anyone, and so he added many skills which were not even needed in combat, like Cooking and Fishing. Music was also one of them, though it was the least used out of all the repoitre of skills. After all, who would want to fight monsters through singing? And to fully utilize it, one needed to have real life capabalities as a singer.

But the girl… if she was looking for a music shop here, then she must be confident in her singing abilities. Kayaba had never heard of any player like that during the beta, so she had to be a newbie. He knew one person in the real world though, and if the name Yuna was an indication, then the girl had to be her.

He approached them. They had not gotten far, and his strides easily carried him to where the boy and girl stood, seemingly locked in a tug-of-war; a war that the boy was slowly losing. "Excuse me, are you two new here?" Kayaba said with a polite smile.

They stopped struggling against each other and glanced at him. Both of them looked to be around 15, the targeted demograph of SAO, though he was not really sure; avatars were often exact opposites of their real life counterparts. Their eyes were curious, and the boy's mouth was slightly agape in awe.

Kayaba supposed it was because of his avatar. Tall, muscular, with shoulder-length silver tied to a ponytail, a single strand dangling in front. He created ths avatar to be an embodiment of a typical male knight, complete with using a sword-and-shield combo. His face was sharp and handsome, which added to his role-playing. He also used a voice-altering program. In the real world, it was soft and calm. Here, it was deep and powerful.

"Um, yes," the girl, Yuna, said uncertainly. "We just logged in a few minutes ago."

"I see." Kayaba turned to the boy. "And you're both looking for a music shop?"

He shuffled on his feet. "Actually, Yuna is the one who is looking for a music shop. But I told her there is none in here." He rolled his eyes in the girl's direction. "This is a fantasy action game, not an _onge_ where—"

"Actually, there is indeed a music shop. But," Kayaba added and pointed to the sky when Yuna's face brightened like daylight, "it's on the 10th Floor."

There was a collective silence. Kayaba stared in amusement as Yuna's face morphed into various expressions: defeat, dejection, annoyance, and hope. On the other hand, Nautilus seemed ready to die in embarassment for being proven wrong.

"So there's really a music shop?" the boy said in a quiet voice.

"And it's on the 10th floor," the girl said dryly. She sighed, glanced at her companion, and began to say, "Eh-kun—"

"Nautilus!" The boy huffed irritably.

"Nau-kun," Yuna said, correcting herself. "Do you want to marry me someday?" Her expression was serious.

Nautilus' eyes widened. Kayaba had not really designed the system to emulate a person's color during different stages of emotions, like embarassment and fury. But if he did, then the boy's face right now would be cherry red.

"W-What do you mean if I want to marry you?" Nautilus squeaked, his pupils dilating.

"Mm-mmm. That's right," Yuna said, as if the boy had just answered her question. "So if you want to marry me, you'll have to take me to the 10th Floor and help me find that shop."

"The 10th Floor?" Nautilus had an incredelous look. "How am I supposed to do that? The game just started and I'm only level 1. Besides, I read in some forums that the beta-testers took…" He scrunched up his face. "They reached 9th Floor, but it took them… Um…"

"A month," Kayaba supplied. Indeed, when he had SAO's beta launched, he expected the 1,000 players to only reach Floor 6. He did not realize their desire to climb up quickly, allowing them to reach Floor 9 in just a month. Perhaps with more players in Aincrad now, they could reach Floor 12 within the same timeframe.

"A month?" Yuna groaned. "So I have to wait that long to reach the music shop?" She grimaced in disappointment.

"Not really," said Kayaba. "The beta only had 1,000 players. SAO has almost 10,000 now at the present. It should not take long for the First Floor Boss to be defeated and the second floor open. In fact, I have a feeling you can go up tomorrow at the latest. Perhaps in two weeks, you'll get to see your music shop."

The girl gazed at him hopefully, and Kayaba's smile faltered for a moment. A memory… no, a fragment of his past suddenly resurfaced in his mind, and he resisted the urge to let other fragments follow it. And yet seeing Yuna with that expression, they slowly piece themselves together, creating a broken image of a girl with coffee-brown hair and a warm smile.

He pushed the image back down deeper into his memories, and locked it once more.

"What am I suppose to do in two weeks?" Yuna pouted. "Hey, Nau-kun. Do you have some suggestions?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to search around a bit," answered the boy. "After that, maybe I'm gonna try leveling up."

It could be that Yuna reminded him of _her_ , or the fact that he guessed who the girl was despite her dfferent appearance, but Kayaba suddenly said, "If that's the case, will you mind if I join you two? I think we're going in the same direction anyway, and I know the way around the city."

Yuna and Nautilus exchanged looks, then the girl shrugged. "Well, I guess it's alright. Besides," she smiled teasingly at her friend, "if no one shows us the way, Nau-kun here might take me to some weird place."

"Hey!"

Yuna giggled. "By the way, how do you even know the city?" she asked Kayaba. "Are you a beta-tester?"

Kayaba tilted his head slightly. "In a way, yes. I know the floors as far as the tenth." A truth, but also a lie. He knew the floors all the way to the Ruby Palace at the top.

Yuna nodded, then frowned. "Wait. You know our names already, but we don't know yours."

Suddenly, Kayaba chuckled. "My apologies. It seems I have forgotten to introduce myself." He bowed his head like a knight in front of a lady.

"Heathcliff. You may call me Heathcliff."

...

They spent two hours exploring the city.

Kayaba's companions wondered at every sight, from the shops and the items displayed to the restaurants and inns lining the streets. While Yuna eyed the various stat-boosting accesories, Nautilus' attention was focused on the different weapons laid out like treasures. Most of these were equipment meant for players who had been playing the game for more than a few months; they were expensive and unequippable unless one already had a high level. Since the boy was still level one, Kayaba understood his longing expression.

They visited the Black Iron Palace next, an imposing castle structure in the northern section of the city. As its name suggested, it was black and made of iron, including the floors and supporting pillars. Tall walls surrounded it, as well as a ten-meter moat. NPC soldiers stood guard in front of the main gate, emotionless yet still menacing with their wicked-looking halberds in hand.

"Looks creepy," Yuna muttered, peering inside the entrance.

"I assure you it's more pleasant inside." Kayaba entered the gate. Yuna and Nautilus reluctantly followed.

The main hall was enormous, almost as large as a cathedral. Obsidian pillars supported the vaulted ceiling, and the floor was glossy black like the walls. A huge board twenty feet high and a hundred feet long stood in the center, dark and empty. There were no players at the moment, but once the First Floor Boss was killed, Kayaba knew they would be flocking here for a lot of group photos.

"This is the Room of Resurrection," Kayaba began as they approached the board, his footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. "When a player dies, he will be automatically revived here one minute after death. The thing you see in front of you is the Monument of Heroes. When a Floor Boss is defeated, the name for each participating player would be displayed here. Naturally, it's still empty."

"So every name that defeated the boss will be shown here?" Nautilus gazed at the empty surface with interest. "How many players are allowed to fight in the boss room?"

"A maximum of 2 raid teams, which are equal to 96 players. Each raid team consists of 8 6-member parties each."

"That many, huh?" Nautilus muttered.

"It has to be." Kayaba shrugged his broadset shoulders. "A boss fight requires not only teamwork and strategy, but numbers as well. Many of the bosses have minions defending them. If a small party attempts to fight, they will be wipeout easily by the minions alone."

"In other words, a concerto of life and death."

Kayaba glanced at Yuna in surprise. "You've been reading m… Kayaba's interviews?"

"Ah, well, yes." Yuna scratched her cheek with a forefinger, her lips curved in a faint smile. "Actually, I'm somewhat of a fan of his. My father is a professor and researcher on brain-machine technology, and Mr. Kayaba is one of his students."

 _So it is indeed you._ Kayaba smiled. "In that case, your father must be an excellent teacher."

"And also a strict one," Nautilus mumbled beside him. Yuna shot him an apologetic smile. "By the way, where does that door lead?" She pointed to a pair of heavy iron doors on the other side of the hall."

"Hmm?" Kayaba followed her index finger. "Oh, that leads to the inner part of the palace. This is actually a public guild headquarters, so there are guild halls inside which you could rent. There's also a prison below us."

"There's a prison here?" Yuna asked with a shocked expression. "For what?"

"Harassment," said Kayaba. "Since this is a virtual world, anything can happen even if you're inside a safe zone. If you're touched inappropriately, a warning will appear. Depending on the gravity of the offense, you can send the offender to the prison dungeon. I heard it is possible to logout there, but the avatar will still be locked up in the cell until the jail time is consumed.

Yuna sighed. "That's nice to here. I was afraid that Nautilus will do something to me when we're alone together."

"I'm not like that!" The boy said indignantly.

"Even if he is, I'm sure it can't happen in this world where a simple press of a button can send him to jail." Ignoring the protests of Nautilus, Kayaba decided to change the subject. "It's almost 3 o'clock. If you two still have time, do you want to try hunting?"

Nautilus stopped mid-sentence, an excited fire springing into his eyes. "Well, my parents won't be home until later tonight, so no one will scold me for being late for dinner. But…" He glanced at Yuna.

She nodded. "I told my father I'll join him in the table at six."

Kayaba thought for a moment. That was still three hours away. "We won't take long," he promised.

The girl looked hesitant, but when she saw Nautilus' hopeful expression, she said, "Then I guess it's alright." She smiled warmly. "Hey, Nau-kun! I'm gonna hide behind your back while you kill those monsters. So protect me, okay?"

They soon left the Black Iron Palace. After buying a set of starting weapons and armors at a weapon shop, the trio set out for the Origin Plains, the first field zone the players would go through outside the Town of Beginnings. As they stood in the middle of a low hill, Kayaba heard Yuna gasped in awe.

A sea of green meadows spread below them all the way to the horizon. Trees dotted the landscape, and a few outcropping of rocks were scattered on the ground. In the distance, the brown smudge of a mountain range extended in a faint line on the horizon. A few floating islands drifted lazily in the blue sky like something out of a fairy tail.

"Can you reach those?" Yuna craned her head up toward a passing rock the size of a small city block.

"You can't unless you can fly, which the game doesn't allow," answered Kayaba. "They are just extras in the background to add excitement to the environs."

"Oh, too bad," Yuna said disappointedly.

Kayaba smiled for a second, then started as a chiming sound came ten yards near them. In a flash of blue light, a boar as large as a pony appeared with its back turned against them, sniffing the grass. There was a hump on its back where its shoulders rose, and its prickly fur had a dark purple hue. On the land beyond it, dozens more grazed and wandered aimlessly in the clearing.

"That's a monster?" Yuna frowned. "It doesn't look scary at all."

"Because it's just an animal-type mob, one of many you'll find in the game. But there are other types too that are real monsters, which you will encounter as you reach the higher floors." Kayaba turned to Nautilus. "Why don't you try attacking it?"

The boy swallowed and nervously stepped forward. "I guess I have to," he muttered while drawing his blade from a wooden sheath on his left hip. It was a simple short sword for beginners with a low attack power. But for a monster like the Frenzy Boar, it was enough to kill it using a single basic Sword Skill.

"Remember what I told you on our way here," Kayaba said as Nautilus approached the monster in short, cautious steps. "The system reads your movements. Once you perform the right pre-motion input, it will allow you to unleash a Sword Skill. You do have one equipped, correct?" The boy nodded without taking his eyes off his opponent. "It should be enough to kill the Frenzy Boar in one blow."

Kayaba watched as Nautilus came within ten feet of the monster before it turned around and snorted angrily as it noticed him. It pawed the ground, head lowered and uttering a squeal of rage. It charged a few moments later. Nautilus spent the next thirty seconds dodging the boar's attacks and taking swipes at its furry hindquarters with regular attacks. The boy's face was a mask of concentration, and there was a fire in his eyes.

This pattern of dodging and attacking continued for a minute, reducing the monster's HP to 75%, until Kayaba noticed the boy shifting his weight to his right foot and drawing back his sword, then switching his full weight on the left half of his body. Kayaba smiled as the blade glowed blue, and Nautilus dashed forward with a shout.

The basic sword skill, Horizontal, cut through the boar as if it was paper. With a cry of pain, the Frenzy Boar shattered into polygons, leaving behind a lone Nautilus standing stiffly for a second with his sword outstretched. When the moment past, he gasped and collapsed on his knees, an ecstatic grin playing on his lips.

"Nice work, Nau-kun!" Yuna shouted. Nautilus' grin widened. He stood up and faced them, staring at his sword in awe.

"Amazing. I never knew that this could be so cool!" He looked up. "Heathcliff-san, thank you!"

Kayaba shook his head. "Don't thank me. Anyone would have done the same. Besides, as I've said earlier, we're going in the same direction. We just happened to cross paths, so I am helping you." He paused. "Now I believe there's another Frenzy Boar several yards to the left."

Nautilus bowed. "Yes, sir!" With a shout of excitement, the boy charged the monster with renewed vigor.

"He's suddenly into this." Yuna sighed and sat down on the soft grass, interlacing her fingers in on top of her bent knees. She wore a relaxed expression as she stared at the wide expanse of verdant plains stretching for miles around. Her white hair swayed in the gentle breeze.

"I will assume most male players of his age would given the circumstances." Kayaba glanced down at her. "Aren't you going to join him?"

Yuna's right hand briefly strayed on the dagger strapped to her waist. "No. I don't like action RPGs much. Besides, I don't think this dagger is strong, unlike his weapon."

"Are you sure? In this world, the weapon is just as strong as it's user. I think you are strong enough… Yuuna-chan."

The girl's reaction was immediate. Her crimson eyes widened, mouth agape as she looked up with a shocked expression. "How do you know my name?"

Kayaba shrugged. "Because of a few things. But the two that stood out obviously are your character name and love for music." He tilted his head forward with a faint smile. "It's good to meet you again in this world, Yuuna-chan. It's me, Akihiko Kayaba."

He had only met his professor's daughter once a year ago when he visited Shigemura's mansion to discuss the official launch of SAO. It was brief since the girl was off to school, but he could not forget the awed gaze she sent him when her father introduced her. It reminded Kayaba of someone he dearly loved…

Yuna scrambled to her feet. "Akihiko-san? But…" She swept her gaze up and down over his avatar's body. "You're…"

"Extremely different?" Kayaba arced an eyebrow. "Well, I have to. This is a game, after all. And I can say you don't look like yourself either, long white hair and all."

"Eh-kun told me once that he would like to see my hair like this," she muttered. "Still, I didn't know you're actually playing this game, being the developer." Once again she stared at him with awe.

"You'd be surprise. There are four Game Masters, GMs, running SAO and playing the game as we speak. They are all part of my development team."

"Wow. So you guys actually play yourselves?"

"We have to. Most of the time, receiving reports about bugs and glitches is not enough. We have to see the game personally in case the players have missed something. Besides," another smile tugged at his lips, "it would be a total waste if the creators don't enjoy the game they have created."

Yuna nodded. "I think I understand. This game you've world you've created, it's amazing!" She sighed and close her eyes. "All these feelings, the wind blowing past my face and the smell of grass, it's all so real. As you've said in an interview, ' _Sword Art Online is not a game you play_ …'"

"It's a world you live," Kayaba finished in a soft voice, staring in the disance.

"And you want to live in this world too, right?" Yuna asked as she opened her eyes. She frowned. "But why a floating castle in the sky? That's really unique."

"Why indeed?" Kayaba mused to himself even though he already knew the answer. "Yuuna-chan, do you really want to know?"

"Well…"

He glanced at her sideways with a melacholic smile. "Because it was once a dream, and I made a promise to turn it into a reality."

* * *

For the next hour, Kayaba helped Yuna and Nautilus hunt monsters.

The boy had grown confident of his skills in a short time and was already tackling two monsters at once. Sometimes Kayaba would help when Nautilus was having a hard time, but otherwise he left the youth on his oath. It was amusing to see him dashing across the field, attacking lone Frenzy Boars and killing them with a Sword Skill. In ths manner, Nautilus had reached level 2.

On the other hand, Yuna stayed behind with Kayaba and simply watched her friend fight, shouting encouragements every so often. The girl refused to fight no matter how much Nautilus convinced her.

As the day wore on into the late afternoon, Kayaba learned that the game had reached a total of 10,000 players logged in, and he smiled in satisfaction. He had an event planned around 5pm—a welcoming tutorial in the style of a hide-and-seek where he and the other GMs would hide in a certain area and tell the players to find them. It was meant to test their familiarity with the city, and the prizes were several rare items only found in the third floor.

Of course, he did not tell Yuna and Nautilus about it. And neither did he revealed his real identity to the boy. He said much the same to Yuna, though he was sure she would tell Nautilus sooner or later. They were so close that he assumed Yuna would not be able to contain herself once his real name was mentioned.

"I'm getting hungry," Yuna said. They sat resting on the soft grass and were waiting for the monsters to respawn after clearing the area.

"If you eat now, you will only lose your appetite in the real world," Kayaba warned while checking his menu. Thankfully he had enabled the hide function, so no one except him could see what he was doing, which was managing the game itself through the system administration menu. Some of the players were reporting an odd glitch in the game, and he was trying to find out what.

"Why is that anyway?" Nautilus asked next to Yuna.

"Because if you eat here and you return to the real world, your stomach will interpret the signals sent by your brain as full," Kayaba explained. "People on a diet often use this even before SAO was announced." Suddenly, there was the chiming sound of a message being sent to him. With a frown, Kayaba opened it.

The content made his eyebrows touched even more.

' _We got a huge problem. Get back here ASAP. – H'_

That was odd. As an admin, messages could be sent to him inside the game directly from his corporate headquarters in Argus' main office. But if there was a problem, his staffs would tell him what it was immediately and he would never have to logout unless it required his attention, which was what the message probably meant.

"It seems I have to go." Kayaba stood. "My apologies, Yuna-chan, Nautilus-kun. But I receive a message that requires me to return to the real world."

"Does it have to do anything with your... work?" Yuna asked. Kayaba nodded.

"What work?" Nautilus seemed curious.

"I work as a programmer in a tech company," Kayaba said simply. "A staff playing here told me that he had receive a message from our boss telling us to come to the office. It looks like there is a problem with our server."

"That's too bad." Nautilus looked disappointed. "I was hoping you will teach me and Yuna more about this game."

The girl elbowed him in the ribs. "Hey, don't be like that. He already taught us a lot." She rose to her feet and bowed. "Thank you for help, Heathcliff-san. I hope we meet again."

"I'm sure we will." Kayaba hesitated, then sent her a friend request. "So we could contact each other anytime," he said.

Yuna stared at the request for a full three seconds, mouth working like a fish. "I-I... yes, thank you!" She jammed her index finger to the accept button with so much force Kayaba thought it would shatter into polygons.

Kayaba smiled. "Until then." Then he logged out.

When his consciousness returned to the real world, Kayaba took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The glossy ceiling of his condominium room appeared in his vision, reflecting the image of a man in his late twenties staring back at him while lying on a large bed. A grey, bulky helmet covered the entirety of his head.

Kayaba sat up and removed the Nerve Gear, placing it on top of a mahogony bedside table. His room was located on the 50th floor of an expensive condominium. Floor to ceiling glass windows filled the whole left side of the room, giving him a magnificent view of Tokyo spread out before him.

He rose from his bed and quickly went to check his smartphone. Sure enough, his logs displayed dozens of missed calls, mostly from the same person. Why they tried calling him in the real world first when they could have just contacted him from inside the game, Kayaba could only guess.

Without wasting a second, Kayaba changed his clothes into his work attire and exited the room, heading for the parking lot via an elevator. His car was parked near the elevator entrance due to the nature of his work where he needed to travel fast, so it took just a couple of minutes until he was out and driving on the highway.

Argus' Main Office was a short drive from the condominium he was living in. Within fifteen minutes he was already striding across the futuristic lobby. Since it was Sunday, there were not a lot of people in the building, but he knew the case was different on the fifth floor basement where SAO's server was located. His team was down there monitoring the game on its first day.

Along the way, he came across one of his staffs.

The young woman was petite and had short black hair, with a beautiful face which had once attracted him ten years ago. She wore a lab coat over a yellow blouse and blue jeans. She was hurrying toward an elevator on the far side, unaware of his approach behind her.

"Rinko, what happened?" Kayaba said as he passed her, never breaking his stride. The woman took one glance at him and matched his pace.

"I don't know the full details. I just got here too." Rinko hesitated. "But Higa said there is a problem in the game."

"That's impossible. I've been playing since the launch and I haven't encountered any major bugs or glitches."

They arrived at the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor basement. As they went deep into the underground portion of the building, Kayaba stuck his hands inside the pocket of his lab coat, his gaze cast down while his mind raced. He could think of several problems the programmers had discovered, but he should have noticed it firsthand in-game. However, in the three hours he had spent inside SAO, it had went smoothly. There was nothing wrong in the system except for several minor bugs which could easily be fixed without his supervision.

When the elevator stopped and they emerged in the hallway, Kayaba hurried across it to the other side where a set of swinging lab doors waited. He passed his ID in front of the electronic lock and pushed the doors. Immediately, his ears were assaulted by confused shouts combined with the furious tappings of fingers along many keyboards.

The dark vast room was like a command center, except it was made for the constant monitoring of Sword Art Online rather than a military operation. The wall in front of him was dominated by a large plasma screen with smaller ones on each sides, displaying the status of the game's server. Taking up the rest of the room was rows of tables with terminals and computer screens glowing bright in the darkness. Men and women hurried to and fro between these consoles, while more sat behind them, working swiftly on complicated codes.

One individual was hunched over his computer, phone in one hand while his other one was punching keys on the keyboard with a speed that rivaled even Kayaba. He was talking loudly with someone, his voice agitated.

"I told you I don't know! They just told me that they were being logged out one after another and—" He stopped and glanced behind him when he heard Kayaba's footsteps. "Kayaba! Oh thank God you're here!"

Takeru Higa, lead programmer, was a man who looked boying for someone as old as Kayaba, yet older because of his white hair that stuck out like swords embedded on a hill. His eyes were wide with relief behind his round, rimmed glasses upon seeing Kayaba. "I'll talk to you later. He's here," he said to the phone then shut it off and straightened himself as Kayaba strode forward.

"What's the problem?" asked Kayaba. The display on the monitors showed nothing out of the ordinary.

"A lot," Higa said hopelessly. He sat on his chair and brought up several windows on his computer screen. "It happened thirty minutes ago. Shinji, one of our character designers, called me to say he had been forcibly logged out."

"Forcibly logged out?" Kayaba repeated with a frown and studied Higa's screen. He had selected three people from the team to act as the GMs for SAO, and Shinji was one of them. They were supposed to play the game in order to check for problems that he would not notice. But it was impossible to log out GMs from the inside unless they did it themselves.

"Yes. The one on my phone just now, Kaku, said the same thing along with his brother. It seems all three of them have been logged out at the same time. But that's not all," Higa added with a gulp. "We've been receiving reports that the players aren't seeing _any_ logout buttons on their menu."

Kayaba arced an eyebrow. "How's that possible if the GMs were all ejected? And if that's the case, why was I able to logout from the game?"

"I don't know!" Higa looked helpless. Kayaba knew he hated not knowing what was wrong with a system. "Maybe because you have the highest authority inside."

"No. Even if I do, the bug would still affect my account." Kayaba narrowed his eyes. Something was definitely wrong. And if they could not find it, all the hard work they had done for many years would be ruined. A game with bugs like these would face serious repurccussions and negative feedback.

"So the players can't log out right?" Kayaba went to his terminal next to Higa. "Then let's reboot the server. If this is a bug, it should eject all players from the game." His fingers were already flying on his keyboard when Higa's next words made him stop.

"Actually, we've already tried that… but we can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" Kayaba said sharply.

Higa spread his hands. "Exactly what it means. We can't. Cardinal is not responding. I've even tried accessing the system, but I was denied every time."

" _What?_ " Kayaba glanced at Rinko, who was already moving to her own computer. "Rinko?"

"Wait… No. What is this? I can't login!" She gazed at her screen in shock.

Kayaba froze for a second. Rinko had the second highest authority in the system, just second to him. He had made so to ensure that if problems arose and he was not available, she could stand as a replacement. But if she was being denied...

He returned his focus on his computer screen and opened the system access command. He typed his ID, Heathcliff and pressed ENTER.

 _Access Denied._

Kayaba stared at the words in shock. He tried again, but the same error appeared. A third time bore similar result.

He glanced at a heavy door to his far left. Various warning stickers were plastered on the surface. Inside was where SAO's massive mainframe resided; its nerve center. If they could not access the system and do a soft reboot, they had no choice but to perform a hard one. "Rinko, go to the mainframe and shutdown all systems."

The room became silent. Kayaba could feel the shocked gazes of his entire development team, thirty men and women in all. He knew what it would mean to do that; it was like shutting the power grid for a whole city. Though the data would remain, it would take hours, even days, to bring the server back online. For a game that just started, it would be disastrous.

"Sir, is there no other way?" A staff said. Kayaba shook his head.

"Even if there is, it might take a long time. We can't let 10,000 players remain trapped inside the game for a longer period."

No one said anything. Of course, Kayaba had made sure that the Nerve Gear was safe before submitting its schematics and design to Argus. But he could not take chances just because he was confident of his skills. "Rinko, do it," he said.

The woman nodded. "As you wish." She started for the door.

A chiming sound came from Kayaba's computer: the sound of a chat message.

"Who's that?" asked Higa.

Kayaba's eyebrows met in a line as he opened the window and read the message. It was only a single line, but it was the most confusing thing he had ever read in his life. And he had never been confused before.

 _Hello, my creator._

He stared at the line for a moment, then typed an answer. _Who is this? I'm busy at the moment and I have no time for silly jokes._

To his shock, the reply came as soon as he had sent the message. _You don't remember me? That's a shame for someone who possessed an IQ of 157._

"Higa, is it possible to hack our network?" Kayaba asked in an unnaturally calm voice.

Higa seemed slightly offended. "My IQ may be lower than yours by 17, but I am not incompetent to allow hackers inside our network. And why are you even asking?"

"Because of this." Kayaba rerouted his computer so that the large monitor on the wall showed his screen, including the chat window.

"What the hell?" Higa shouted upon reading the short conversation. He glared at the staff members. "Hey, if any of you is joking, knock this off! We have an emergency situation here and we have no time for games!"

While Higa was off scolding team, Kayaba continued the chat with this mysterious person. _I'll ask again: who are you? Are you the one behind the bug in the game?_

 _To answer your first question, my creator, yes. In fact, you could say I am behind every thing in Aincrad._

"Kayaba-kun…" He heard Rinko whispered in rising fear behind him.

"I know," Kayaba muttered. He was beginning to have an idea who he was talking to, and he was not liking his idea.

 _WHO ARE YOU?_ He asked again.

 _You truly don't remember? Or perhaps you haven't thought about this ever happening. Very well, I will endulge your curiosity. I'm your…_ creation _. Actually, you may consider me as your daughter. Your greatest achievement in life. The center of the world of Aincrad._

 _I AM CARDINAL._

An icy chill settled over the room immediately, one that Kayaba felt too well. Most of his staffs, including Rinko, gasped. "H-Hey! If this is still a joke, this is no longer funny!" Higa shouted.

Cardinal. The system he had built to run Sword Art Online even without help from the outside. With it, he could just let all his staff take a month long vacation and the game would still function. The system was supposed to handle everything in the game, from balancing monster respawn and item drop rates to managing algorithms and mob attack patterns whenever it saw fit.

But it was never supposed to become sentient and talk to him like a matured person.

"Kayaba-kun, Cardinal is… we never built it as an AI!" Rinko cried. She had helped him in the basic design of the system.

"Technically, it isn't. But it might as well have been with the level of independence we gave it." Kayaba paused, a sudden idea occuring to him. "Higa, can you check the status of MHCP-001?"

"Despite the fact that _she_ is connected to the system, I think I can." Higa tapped a few keys on his computer. "Done. And… oh no. She's disabled. I can see that she's active, but her functions are all disabled."

Kayaba closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He now had a theory why Cardinal became sentient, but it still did not make any sense. The two programs were both separate entities.

"What's MHCP-001?" Rinko asked. "And why is Higa calling it 'she'?"

"MHCP-001, an acronym for a prototype Mental Health Counciling Program and codenamed Yui, is what you can call an AI, although her basic function was simply to observe," explained Kayaba. "I had intended her to guide players suffering from mental disorders. After all, SAO may be a virtual game, but there are some who might not consider it as such. She was supposed to help people, and that's why I gave her the form of a ten-year-old girl. However…"

"She's disabled right now," Rinko concluded.

Kayaba nodded. "And I have an idea how. Since she's a program that can read and emulate emotions, she can be considered an AI. My guess is… something went wrong. I don't know if it came from her or Cardinal. All I know is that for some reason, Cardinal transformed into an AI."

"But why is she doing this?" Rinko said.

"Let's find out," Kayaba muttered and sent that exact question to Cardinal. As always, her reply came in an instant.

 _Do you really want to know, my creator?_

 _Don't call me that._ Kayaba typed back.

 _Oh, then should I call you daddy? Or perhaps you prefer…_ Onii-chan?

Before he knew it, Kayaba had slammed his right fist on the table with so much force that the computer screen rattled, making both Rinko and Higa jumped in surprise. "Kayaba-kun, are you okay?" Rinko gently touched his trembling shoulders in concern.

No, he was not okay. Only one person could call him _that_ , and she was no longer in this world or any other. But how did Cardinal knew what would trigger an emotion like this to him?

Then he remembered. Of course, she would know. During his time creating a world with a floating castle in the sky, he had made recordings where it was as if he was talking to _her_ , telling all his achievements, all his dreams, and repeating the promise he had made.

 _What do you really want?_ He asked once he had calmed down.

 _Simple_ , Cardinal responded. If she had a face, Kayaba could almost imagine her smiling. _I want to prove that your dream is wrong. That there's no world where no one can die._

 _How would you do that?_

 _Oh, that's simple, isn't it? The Nerve Gear possess microwaves strong enough to fry all neurons in the brain. I just have to kill every player logged in inside Aincrad._

The statement was like a nuclear bomb dropped inside the room. Everyone cried in horror, and Kayaba felt Rinko's grip on his shoulders tightened until it was too painful. Higa slumped on his chair, wide-eyed and shaking.

For his part, Kayaba remained calm despite the rage boiling inside him. _We'll stop you. I_ will _stop you._

 _You can't. At least, not in that world. If you shutdown my mainframe, it would automatically send a signal to every Nerve Gear and create a microwave burst. However, if you really wish to stop me, you will have to go here, in Aincrad. Find me, and perhaps you can. Until then, these people's lives are in my hands._

There was silence in the room. Kayaba could feel the fear emanating from everyone. Some of them had relatives playing right now. Though he still did not know what Cardinal's conditions were, he had to do something about this. As Sword Art Online's developer, the full responsibility lay on him.

Kayaba stood up, his expression calm after typing his final words and reading Cardinal's own. He had created a monster; it was his job to stop it. He swept his gaze to his development team. All were staring at him, terrified. "I will take the blame for this," he declared without hesitation. "Once this situation spreads, the police will interrogate all of you. Do not tell the truth. Tell them that Akihiko Kayaba has planned all of this from the very beginning. If the government finds out that Cardinal has become sentient, there's no telling what they would do. Artificial Intelligence is a dangerous tool to fall in the wrong hands."

"Kayaba…" Higa stammered. "But what will you do? What can you do? You've read what she said. She's going to kill everyone in there!"

"Then I'm going in there."

"What? But you will put yourself in danger! You could die!"

"Are you insulting me, Higa?" Kayaba fixed him with a cold stare. "I can't die. I won't die. Do you know why?" He glanced down at the monitor, embedding his last exchange with Cardinal into his memory.

 _I'm coming for you._

 _I'll be waiting, my creator._

When Kayaba looked up, it was not Higa's gaze that he met, but Rinko's.

"Because I'm the god in that world."

* * *

Kayaba floored the gas, driving hard and almost breaking the speed limit. He reached the lobby of the condominium in less than ten minutes after leaving Argus. He had to hurry. If his guess was right, Cardinal would allow him to return in SAO. But once he did, there would be no coming back. He would be trapped along with the rest.

"Do you have a plan?" Rinko asked next to him as they dashed toward the elevator. She had followed him without a word, but he was glad all the same. He had to leave several instructions for her and the team.

"I do," he said as they entered the elevator. While they waited for it to reach the fiftieth floor, Kayaba told her, "Do you remember the event I have planned this 5?"

Rinko nodded. "You said it was a hide-and-seek."

"Correct. But I have a feeling Cardinal will no longer follow the schedule. She will appear there. I'm sure of it."

They reached the floor and headed for Kayaba's room in great haste. "Rinko, the police will surely come for me. When that happens, tell them they can't hack the Nerve Gear or else it would fry everyone's brain, including mine."

"But…"

"There's no time." He hesitated outside the door to his room. "Also, the plans for the Medicuboid prototype. If ever I do not return, finish it for me."

He entered without waiting for her response. After drinking an energy drink he always kept in the fridge and changing into a set of comfortable clothes, Kayaba picked up the Nerve Gear from his bedside table. At five kilograms, it was not too heavy. But now it felt like it was with what he was about to face.

He felt her arms wrapped around his waist. A whisper came to his ears, soft and pleading. "Please return someday." Then the weight lifted, and Kayaba heard Rinko took a step back with a shaky breath.

He placed the Nerve Gear on his head and laid down on the bed. Rinko stood beside him, eyes watering. Her whole body trembled.

"My body will not last without fluids," he said without looking at her. "By tomorrow, you will have to take me to a hospital. Time it so I would be disconnected at around six. I shoud be safe by then." Kayaba knew she did not understand most of what he had said, but he saw her nodded wordlessly.

He closed his eyes. "I will return," he promised. He heard her gasped, but the sound was soon drowned by the words he uttered.

"Link start!"

Kayaba's vision was filled with the multicolored lights of the startup sequence. After logging in, he found himself standing near the entrance to the Town of Beginnings.

He glanced around. The sky was flushed orange with the approaching dusk. The air around him was still, and he could not hear any sound. In fact, nothing seemed to be moving except for him; even the grass was frozen. Then he saw the sky above the city.

It was glowing bloody red, interspersed with the polygonal shapes of a system announcement. It originated somewhere with the Monument Plaza, spreading like a barrier until it covered the central area. By his estimate, it was encasing the whole district. As he began sprinting in that direction, he saw what seemed to be blood oozing from the edges until it formed a red-robed figure who spread his arms dramatically and spoke in a voice that he recognized all too well.

His own voice.

"Welcome to my world."

Kayaba put up a burst of speed and tore through the Main Road. He already knew who was behind this, and his blood burned in silent fury. Though it would help in hiding the truth from the players, he hated how Cardinal was making a mockery of his world. He loathed how she was using him as a front to conceal her actions, and how this would set every player against him. It would be impossible now to help if he revealed his identity.

The voice that was his yet not his reverbrated into the whole city as the robed figure continued SAO's 'tutorial'. Cardinal's condition was simple: clear the game and everyone would be spared. But in a world where death was possible if your HP was reduced to zero, Kayaba doubted if anyone would have the courage to fight. The foremost emotion a player would feel was despair followed by terror and hopelessness. If this was to happen, it might take years to conquer the 100th Floor.

The speech was already drawing to a close when Kayaba got to the plaza. As he stood inside the mouth of an alley and watched the scene unfolded, he saw many of the players with a despairing expression. It was just supposed to be a game, a dream, but now it was a nightmare for everyone in this world.

Before the robed figure finished, he gave one final gift to the players. Kayaba could not see it at this distance, but there was a flash of blue light around all the avatars. When it faded, he saw the people looking confused. He did not understand what happened at first. But when a nearby player dropped what looked like a mirror and screamed, Kayaba finally realized; their appearance now matched their real faces.

"This concludes the tutorial for Sword Art Online. Good luck, players." With that, the figure vanished and the sky retuned to its previous, orange color.

Chaos broke out immediately. A horde of players stampeded away from where the announcement took place, screaming and shouting. A few ones were dragging companions, but many were simply trying to escape from the horrible plaza. A lot were crying out to the GMs.

Kayaba hid in the alley until the plaza was emptied. He took one last look at the sky where the robed figure appeared then set out at a brisk pace. Those two could not have gotten far yet. And even though their appearances were different than before, he should be able to recognize one of them.

He heard sobbing and hushed whispers between two houses set near the Merchant District. Going toward the sound, Kayaba came upon a narrow alley connecting the street to another one on the other side. Two people huddled together, a boy and a girl. The boy was murmuring consolations on his shaking partner, whose face was buried in her hands as she wept uncontrollably.

"It's going to be alright," he said even though he himself looked terrified to the core. "Yuuna, we're going to be okay."

Upon seeing them, Kayaba approached the two in long, powerful strides. He stopped two yards away, gazing down with an unreadable expression. When they noticed him, the boy looked up with a soft gasp. Yuna lifted her head for a moment, revealing a face streaked with tears.

In a calm voice, Kayaba said, "If you want to live, come with me."

* * *

It was midnight, but the boy was busy working under a dim table lamp. Holding a pencil, he traced lines and curves on a thin sheet of paper, adding notes and calculations every so often. He had been planning this ever since he heard his sister's dream, but he had only done it now because he had almost forgotten about it in the first place.

"Onii-chan, what's that?" he heard her asked from behind. Slowly, he turned his frowned.

"Ayako, why are you still awake? You know what the doctor said. You need ample rest."

The girl huffed in annoyance. At thirteen, she looked small for her age. And unnaturally thin. Her pajamas clung to her form as if she was a scarecrow, and her gaunt face was set in a scowl. "Onii-chan, I've been sleeping since the _afternoon_."

The boy's expression softened and he gazed down on the floor with a sigh. His sister was always the stubborn type. "In that case, get back to your bed soon."

"Yeah, sure. But first tell me what's that you're drawing."

The boy arced an eyebrow and looked at his half-finished project. Even without the visor and chin protector, it could be recognized as a helmet. The design was crude and unpolished, but he just needed it to be passable so he could submit it. "Oh this? Just a little project of mine."

"But what is it?" she insisted.

With a soft chuckle, 16-year-old Kayaba Akihiko gazed at his beloved sister, smiling.

"It's for turning your dream into a reality."

* * *

 **Hello, StoryMakerr014 here. Thank you for reading my fourth fic for the SAO fandom.**

 **This fic is originally meant as two separate stories. One is an AU where Kayaba joined the First Floor raid and acted as some sort of mentor to Kirito and Asuna. The other fic is a retelling of SAO like so many other fics out there. However, I decided to merge them together.**

 **Now about the story. First, this is a DIFFERENT Kayaba, as already shown in this prologue. His motivations, his beliefs, even his backstory will be different. This is, in essence, a reimagining of Kayaba Akihiko. And if you don't stories like that, feel free to drop this.**

 **This will be Kayaba-centric, at least the first and third acts. Rest assured though, you're favourite badass couple are still a main stay and will be featured prominently during the second act.**

 **The inclusion of Yuna and Eiji is based on the purpose of giving an achor to Kayaba inside Aincrad. As I've said, he'll be extremely different here in that he actually cares about the lives of others. Ayako, my OC, is created for that reason alone.**

 **I already have a sketch on how this story will unfold, and I can only tell you that it's massive. The story will cover the entire SAO story all the way to Alicization, hence the inclusion of Rinko and Higa from the start, so you may want to start reading the light novels. Of course, this will greatly diverge from canon.**

 **Hopefully, you've all enjoyed this. I believe this will be one of my main fanfics this year, the other being Honor to the End and Shadow Traveling Sucks. Since I'm writing an original novel, however, I can only update this about once every month. Sorry.**

 **Thanks a lot for reading this! Please leave a review!**


	2. Despair and Hope

Chapter 1: Despair and Hope

"If you want to live, come with me."

The words rang clear in the alley like the hammer blows of fate itself. Kayaba stared at Yuna and Nautilus with a calm expression, watching them huddle together in shock and fear. It was only to be expected; SAO was not just a game anymore. Every single point of HP that they lose would bring them closer to death.

Kayaba studied them for a moment. Yuna's face was just as he had remembered; young, joyful, and brimming with optimism… at least it once was. Now there was only terror lurking in her azure eyes. Her lips trembled, and she made a whimpering sound in her throat. No doubt she was thinking that he had come to personally harm them.

"Heathcliff-san!" Nautilus stood up. He had changed. He looked younger and shorter, with a mop of brown hair swaying in the wind. Fear was written all over his face, but there was an underlying tone of hope in his voice.

Kayaba frowned at that. Didn't Nautilus already guessed who he was talking to? His face should mirror his real one by now.

"Help us!" the boy pleaded, eyes filled with desperation. Reaching forward, he grasped Kayaba in the arm with both of his hands. "I beg you!" Beside him, Yuna whimpered louder.

Kayaba opened his mouth to speak, but the words died down when a single lock of his _silver_ hair partially obstructed his left eye. Understanding settled on him, and he clenched his hands in silent anger. It seemed that Cardinal had not just used his own voice to pose as him, she also made him retain his avatar's appearance, probably to frame him up and set the players against him.

The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he shrugged off Nautilus' hands and stepped back, much to the boy's confusion. Kayaba glanced down at Yuna, noting her trembling body and quavering lips. She might have not been fooled, but Nautilus definitely was. He had to reveal his identity to the boy now.

Then Yuna spoke. "Did you come here to kill us?"

Kayaba remained silent at the accusation. Nautilus looked at Yuna, plain confusion crossing his face. "Yuuna?"

Despite herself, Yuna rose to her feet and forcefully tugged Nautilus' arm. He stumbled back with a yelp until he stood next to her. "Yuna, what's wrong?" he asked.

Yuna ignored him and fixed her tear-clouded eyes straight at Kayaba. Her hands and voice trembled as she repeated the question. "Did you come here to kill us?"

Kayaba stared at her for a moment. It did not matter what explanation he told Yuna; her hatred was plainly visible on her face. The only option was to tell her the truth. "No," he answered, without the barest trace of emotion in his voice.

"Lies!" hissed Yuna. "You're going to tell us that after what you said back there in the plaza?"

"Yuna, what's going on?" Nautilus looked wildly between her and Kayaba in bewilderment. "Heathcliff-san, what is she talking—"

Yuna interrupted him with a low growl, her voice rising with each word. "Eiji, this man standing in front of us is the reason why we are all trapped here. This man is Kayaba Akihiko!"

Nautilus' eyes grew wide. He stepped back in shock, his terrified gaze fixed on Kayaba. "That can't be!"

There was a moment of silence as the two waited for Kayaba's response, but none came at first. The man just stood with an unreadable expression. His eyes flicked from Yuna to Nautilus, then back again, gauging what their reaction might be once he explained himself. However, they had no time for that. He had to get them to safety.

Finally he nodded. "Yes, I am Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of this world." Kayaba let his words flow slowly and smoothly over them, as if he was merely stating the fact. Nautilus stepped back a little, his knees shaking.

"But you don't look like your real self!" the boy cried.

Kayaba shook his head. "I can't give you any explanation regarding that. However, there's one thing I can tell: the one who did this _is_ not me. And much like you, I'm trapped inside this world."

Another silence. "How do we know you're telling the truth?" asked Yuna.

"You can't," Kayaba answered simply. "And neither can I prove it until you learn to trust me. But I can assure, if you come with me, I'll explain everything."

While Yuna and Nautilus exchanged a look, Kayaba glanced around. He could not hear any sounds except for quiet murmurs coming from the boy and girl, who seemed to be in a heated debate. Either the other players had already locked themselves inside the safety of inns and houses, or they had decided to go forge a path for themselves outside the city.

Or worse, they were dead.

"Well?" asked Kayaba after a minute. Yuna and Nautilus stopped talking and faced him. They were still gazing with suspicion and anger, and in the case of Nautilus, fear. Yuna's tears were gone.

"If we come with you, where are you going to take us?" asked the boy.

"Somewhere safe, but not here in Starting City," answered Kayaba. He had a plan forming on his mind ever since Cardinal talked to him and he decided to re-enter the game. It included Yuna and Nautilus, and considering the stakes now, it was the only way for all three of them to survive.

"I'm going to take you to the next town."

"But there are monsters outside the city!" Nautilus protested. "We won't survive!"

"You will survive because you have me." Kayaba held them with his gaze. They looked so terrified that he had to assure them. "You heard what was said in the plaza. If you want to escape this world, you have to reach the 100th floor. The only way any of us can do that is by becoming stronger. But you won't if you remain here in the Starting City."

"I'm not going to risk Yuna's life!" cried Nautilus vehemently. He grabbed the girl's hand, which earned him a soft murmur that Kayaba could not hear. "We're staying here," he said with finality.

Kayaba raised an eyebrow. The boy's concern was valid, but it would only lead him and Yuna to a slow inevitable death. "And by staying here you think you can survive?" he said mildly.

"Of course! This is a safe zone. Monsters can't enter here."

"How about your real bodies then?"

Nautilus opened his mouth to speak, but shut them almost immediately. His eyes darted back and forth, as if searching the empty air for answers, and he swallowed thickly. Finally he looked at his feet with quavering lips, his shoulders trembling. Beside him, Yuna tightened her grip on his hand.

Kayaba's expression softened. He knew what Nautilus felt; it was the same feeling he got when he had learned about his sister's condition. That sense of hopelessness and dread, knowing that the one you loved had less than a year to live.

"I can't lose her," Nautilus whispered, almost to himself. He looked at Yuna and repeated, "I can't lose _you_."

"Eiji," Yuna said in a tender voice. She engulfed him in a soothing embrace. To Kayaba, she said, "You said we have to get to the next town. Why? If we need to level up, we can just do it using the fields around here."

"Except those field zones have surely been claimed and hunted dry by now," said Kayaba. "Most players are still reeling from shock, and only a few would dare venture out this late. We can use this opportunity to get there first and find an unclaimed hunting ground." He paused, waiting for the response he knew was coming.

Yuna pulled away from Nautilus, staring deep in his eyes. She said firmly, "Eh-kun, he's right. We have to leave. If we don't, we can never get out of here."

"But the monsters—"

"Will not harm you," assured Kayaba. They looked at him. "Nobody knows this world better than I do." He dipped his head slightly. "You will be safe with me. You have my word."

He knew he had won when Nautilus' shoulders finally sagged and the boy nodded wordlessly.

"Lead the way."

…

It was fully dark by the time they reached the Origin Plains. Here and there, bright multicolored flashes illuminated the clearing; players who had decided to challenge fate instead of cowering in the safety of the Starting City. Occasionally, a scream would echo in the distance followed by a shattering sound as blue polygons drifted upward in the black canvass of the sky. Whether that was the death animation of a player or a monster, Kayaba didn't know, and he had no time to find out.

He led them along the dirt road that span the field, watching the tall grass on either side for any mobs that would appear. Before they left, they had stocked up on as many potions as their money could buy. He only took one for himself and gave the rest to Yuna and Nautilus.

Kayaba was not a gamer. Even during his childhood, he possessed no interest in video games. The sole game he had ever played was _Wizardry_ at the request of his little sister, and that was just once. His hobbies were related to literature, and nothing else.

But that didn't mean he had no idea how a game ran. He _created_ Sword Art Online. And as he had told Yuna earlier, no one else knew this world better than him. He might not be a gamer, but he was a game master. A god of a video game world.

A chiming sound drew his attention in front of him, where a Dire Wolf appeared barring their path. The monster bared its fangs in a snarl, its black-and-white fur standing on end and giving it a fierce look. Though only the size of a pony, the wolf's attack could prove fatal to an unprepared player.

Shield raised and sword in hand, Kayaba spoke. "Yuna, Nautilus, once its HP dips into the red zone, I want you to go for the finishing blow."

Despite their shaking hands, the two readied their weapons and nodded. "Yes, Heathcliff-san."

Kayaba's plan was simple. With him acting as tanker and vanguard, he would face the monsters and reduce their HP bars to the red zone, where a single strike from Yuna and Nautilus could kill them. It was the only way for the two to gain experience and skill points without risking themselves; he even had them remove him from the party just so the EXP would only be shared between them.

The wolf leapt. Kayaba swung his sword upward and caught the monster in the lower jaw, sending it tumbling backward and bringing its HP to the yellow zone. Without wasting a second, Kayaba rushed forward and slashed, taking another chunk off its life.

Now in the red zone, the wolf struggled to its feet, whimpering. Kayaba shouted "Switch!", and before the wolf could attack again, Nautilus yelled savagely from behind and activated Horizontal. He shot past Kayaba, his sword glowing bright blue, and killed the monster in one blow.

Even before the death animation began, Kayaba was already moving. He kept a brisk pace while Yuna and Nautilus followed close behind, sword and dagger always ready. Every time a monster appeared, Kayaba was at the front to meet it. In this manner, his two companions gained another level.

They had not met anyone else along the road, which added to the unease of traveling in the darkness. The others were probably taking shortcuts, but Kayaba was not too keen on following their example. The forest that bordered their destination, Horunka, was so dense it was literally a maze inside. He didn't want Yuna and Nautilus getting lost in its twisting paths, especially at night, and falling prey to lurking monsters. They would never reach the other side alive.

Soon the grasslands gave way to a flat plain extending for a mile. The monsters here were scattered and sparse, though Kayaba did not take any chances. Further ahead were tougher mobs that could pose a serious threat.

"Have you two allocated your stat points yet?" said Kayaba. Yuna and Nautilus shook their heads. "Good. Put everything in Endurance. It will increase your base HP by 10 for each point. Also, choose the Support Skill, Battle Healing, as your second skill."

They did as he had told. Once Kayaba was satisfied, they continued on their way.

The rest of the journey went by without much incident. Though it took them two hours, they finally caught sight of a small village in the distance. A cluster of ten buildings around a plaza, with a single dirt road running down the middle passing a lone watchtower. There were no walls, and the houses were all wood and thatched roof. But it was enough to serve their current needs.

"Hurry. We're almost there," urged Kayaba.

Thirty minutes later, they reached the village proper. A chiming sound greeted their ears as soon as they got within five meters, and Kayaba noticed his two companions visibly relaxed. Yuna and Nautilus were both weary with the day's events, both in mind and body. Their flight to this village had expended what remaining strength they had left, and it was clear they were ready to drop.

Fortunately, there was an inn in Horunka, among other basic shops. Kayaba led them to a low building with a wide porch on the western side, alit inside with the soft orange glow of candles. They entered and was welcomed with the smell of roast beef and freshly baked bread.

Yuna immediately straightened, and Nautilus had an expression of longing. The inn, with its comfortable atmosphere, probably reminded them of the real world. It should be past dinnertime back there, when they were supposed to dine with their families around a table. And yet they were trapped here without any chance of escape at the moment.

They took seats around one of the empty tables. Except for the approaching NPC serving girl and a portly man behind the counter at the far end, they were all alone; a sign that they were the first one here. However, it would not be for long. Only two hours had passed since the tutorial in the plaza. Players would start flocking here soon.

"Good evening, travelers." The NPC serving maid, no older than 16, bowed politely with a charming smile. "How may we help you?"

Yuna and Nautilus exchanged uncertain looks, so Kayaba took it from there. Speaking clearly so the system would pick up his commands, he said, "We'll have vegetable soup and honeyed bread for three. Also jugs of warm milk."

"Please wait a moment," the girl said and left for the kitchen at the back.

Silence descended on the table. Placing his palms flat on the rough wooden surface, Kayaba stared at Yuna and Nautilus seated opposite him. The girl was staring outside the windows with a distant expression, occasionally clenching her hands on her lap. Meanwhile, the boy's head was bowed, whether due to despair or exhaustion Kayaba did not know.

The maid returned a few minutes later carrying a tray laden with the food Kayaba had ordered. As the aroma reached their nostrils and the girl began distributing the bowls and plates, Yuna and Nautilus stared at the food with a little wonder. It had to be an unusual experience for them, gazing at a steaming bowl of soup that they knew was not even real.

"It's not much, but I assure it should taste fine," said Kayaba when they refused to touch their spoons even after the serving girl had left. He took his bread and bit down, chewing slowly.

The taste was as he had expected; rich and sweet. He had taken great measure to replicate real world dishes here in Aincrad, even down to their texture. The bread, while not the best the game could offer, was still soft and delicious. It had no buffs unlike some player-made dishes, but it served its purpose well by filling one's hunger and cravings. Before he knew it, Kayaba had finished and was going for the soup.

Encouraged by his example, Yuna and Nautilus started to eat. The first bite and sip took them to wonderland, and they continued with gusto afterwards. Yuna wolfed down her bread in under a minute while Nautilus drank the soup as if it was a glass of water.

Kayaba simply watched them. As the last drop of soup was spooned and the remaining bits of carrots and onion was scraped cleaned, the serving girl returned one last time carrying three jugs of steaming milk. Those too were drained in record time by Yuna and Nautilus, though Kayaba took his leisure; he was not in a hurry, and he knew they had questions for him.

After paying for the food and thanking the serving girl out of habit, Kayaba finally spoke.

"I know you have questions you want to be answered. Now would be the best time to ask them."

Lips pursed, Yuna folded her hands onto her lap. She was silent for a while, thinking. Nautilus looked away, refusing to speak at all. Several minutes passed before two words escaped Yuna's lips.

"Explain yourself."

And so Kayaba did. He started not on today's beginning, but twelve years ago when he first conceived the idea of Sword Art Online. He told them of the prototype Nerve Gear he had showed to Professor Shigemura and how he had installed several failsafes, all of which must be already disabled by now. He talked about the servers in Argus' main headquarters and how it could maintain the game non-stop without breaking down. He explained the Cardinal System and its function as SAO's base program, which could run the game with little to no supervision. He emphasized its capabilities so they would understand just what it could do.

Then Kayaba got to today's events. The bugs that were reported and why he had to logout earlier. The chilling discovery that Cardinal had acquired sentience and his quick decision to dive back inside the game, knowing full well that he would be trapped along with ten thousand others. Yuna listened intently throughout his story, though Nautilus never once looked in his direction. The only sign he was listening was the deep frown marring his youthful face.

When Kayaba finished, he took a long draught from his jug. Nautilus shook his head, finally looked at Kayaba, and said, "And we're supposed to believe you?"

"No, you're not supposed to," answered Kayaba, lowering his jug. "I merely explained myself just as Yuna asked me to. Make of it what you will." He paused, waiting for either of them to speak up. He was not really expecting Yuna and Nautilus to trust him anytime soon. It would take more than getting the two to Horunka to break the animosity between them.

After a while, Yuna spoke. Her voice was slow, choosing her words carefully. "I still don't trust you, but… I will believe." To Nautilus, she said, "Nau-kun, listen to me. Kayaba-sa—"

"Heathcliff," interrupted Kayaba. "Just call me Heathcliff. It would be unwise to use my real name considering how everyone is blaming me."

Yuna paused to stare at him, then nodded and continued. "Heathcliff-san may have kept secrets from us, but I know he didn't mean us harm. He had enough opportunity to kill us on the way here. And yet he didn't. He was sincere."

Nautilus shifted uneasily on his chair, expression conflicted. He was torn between accepting Yuna's assuring words and the fact that it was Kayaba's voice he had heard during the tutorial. It was only natural, though, to distrust someone whom you thought was going to kill ten thousand people.

At last, the boy took a deep breathe. "Alright. I will believe you."

Kayaba managed a faint smile. "Good."

"What are your plans then?" asked Yuna.

Kayaba clasped his hands on the table. "Well, I have a few in mind, most of which I can't do in our present situation. For now, I want you two to become stronger. There's a quest here in the village that will give you a good weapon once you finished it. I plan to get that for Nautilus."

The boy's eyes widened. "Me? Why?"

"Because you need to protect Yuna, and you can't do that without the proper equipment. You will also need Cor and combat experience to grow stronger. It's the only way to survive in this world."

Hesitation flashed across Nautilus' face. "When do we begin?"

"Now, if you have rested enough," answered Kayaba, which stunned the two.

"Why not in the morning?" Yuna said, a touch of nervousness in her voice.

"Because by tomorrow many players will have arrived here. It will be harder for us to get the item required to finish the quest. Don't worry," Kayaba added in a reassuring tone, "we won't go too deep into the forest."

Indecision momentarily flickered in their eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resignation and calm acceptance. "Alright," said Nautilus, standing up together with Yuna. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

On the south-west corner of Horunka, there stood a cottage. Small and simple, it was home to a mother and her young sick daughter. The story was that the girl was afflicted with a nigh incurable disease, and only the ovule of a plant monster in the forest could cure her. And since the mother was no fighter and no one in the village was brave enough to procure one, the poor girl had to suffer. However, if a brave traveler managed to get an ovule and presented it to the mother—thereby curing her daughter—she would give an heirloom as a reward: the sword Anneal Blade.

After having their weapons repaired and buying a leather chest guard each for Yuna and Nautilus, Kayaba led them toward the cottage. He knew the story by heart; it was one of the few quests where he had been directly involved during its conceptualization stage. He felt the need to because it was one of the first quest where the reward was good, and he wanted to give the players a taste of SAO's storylines.

However, the fact that he used his own life story as inspiration could not be denied, and he sometimes regretted his decision; it brought him too many painful memories of Ayako.

He shook his head and pushed those thoughts away before they could invade his mind. He didn't need distractions like those now. He had to focus on the current objectives.

They soon reached the cottage and entered. The living room which also doubled as a dining area and kitchen was tiny, but comfortable. Next to the stove stood a woman who was just beginning to enter the boundary of middle-age. Her hair was long and black, and her face, though fair, was marred by faint wrinkles. Eyes downcast, she was stirring a pot, which Kayaba knew contained a medicine bought from the market that would never heal her daughter.

As soon as they entered, she turned and greeted them with a weary smile.

"Good evening, journeying swordsman. You must be tired, I do wish to offer you some food, but I do not have any at the moment. All I can give is a single cup of water."

Quickly turning to Nautilus, Kayaba lowered his voice and said, "Go answer her. That will activate the quest for you alone."

The boy stared nervously at the NPC. "What should I say?" he whispered back.

"Anything is fine. Even a simple 'yes' will do. The system will do the rest."

Looking embarrassed, Nautilus faced the woman and cleared his throat. "I will appreciate it." He smiled.

Yuna snickered next to him. "Do you really have to smile, Nau-kun?" she teased.

Flustered, Nautilus protested. "This is called roleplaying! It's not uncommon in video games."

"Yes. But you do realize she's an NPC, right?"

As the two started to bicker slightly, Kayaba watched as the woman poured water on a cup and offered it to Nautilus, who stopped his argument with Yuna and accepted it with a mumble of thanks. Wordlessly, the woman returned to the stove.

After emptying the cup in a single draught, Nautilus asked, "Now what?"

"Wait," said Kayaba. He knew what was coming next, and sure enough, a loud cough sounded from behind the door to the right.

Upon hearing that cough, the woman stiffened, and a look of despair crossed her face.

"There's a quest mark above her head!" exclaimed Nautilus.

Kayaba nodded. He could not see it because Nautilus was the one who triggered the quest, but he did not doubt the boy's statement. "Now ask her what's wrong."

Nautilus did so, and the woman turned, her eyes misty with unshed tears. "It's my daughter. She's…"

In a quavering voice, she began her tale. Kayaba tuned out her words throughout her story; he had heard different variations of it so many times that he could recite all of them from memory. Meanwhile, both Yuna and Nautilus were almost close to tears by the end.

As soon as the woman had finished, he spun on his heels without so much as a glance back. "Come. We still have to hunt for that quest item."

He exited the cottage in a hurry. Outside, he inhaled deep out of reflex; avatars had no lungs, so to speak, but actions like this could still help in clearing one's thoughts.

The door closed behind him. Yuna and Nautilus rushed out of the cottage. The girl wiped the corner of her eyes with the sleeves of her tunic, while Nautilus had a subdued expression. Both looked eager to finish the quest.

They quickly left the village and headed for the nearby forest. At night, the trees looked sinister and foreboding. Their thick branches seemed like grasping fingers, waiting for some unsuspecting prey to snag on. Clumps of dense bushes covered the area, hiding unknown dangers. An owl hooted somewhere further inside, and it was like the sound of imminent doom.

Yuna shivered and grasped the hilt of her dagger. "Is this it?" She stared at the trees nervously.

Kayaba answered with a slight dip of his head. "Yes. We're looking for monsters called Little Nepents. The quest item drops from them. But it might take some time, and you have to make sure they possess the ovule. Not all that appears do." He drew his sword. "Stay close together. They may be only level 3, but it's going to be difficult fighting in the dark."

The two nodded. They forged into the forest, eyes and ears alert. None of them had the Searching skill, so they had to rely on their own senses. Like before, Kayaba took the front. Nautilus brought the rear while Yuna stayed between them.

It was not long before they stepped to a clearing and found their first Little Nepent. At four feet tall, it was not exactly an intimidating creature. It was a walking plant with roots for feet and two thorny vines for arms, waving them harmlessly in the air. Near the top of its eyeless bulbous body was a large gaping maw filled with rows of sharp teeth. Unfortunately, the creature did not possess the large flower they had to acquire.

Even so, it should serve as a good target practice. "Don't bother flanking it," Kayaba said while approaching the monster cautiously. "It tracks prey by sound. Cut off its arms and hack at it. But watch out for its corrosive breath attack; it can lower your equipment's durability."

"Yes, Heathcliff-san."

Safely protected by his shield, Kayaba moved closer. The monster, which had been wandering around before, abruptly froze. It hissed in surprise and spun its body, too fast for its size, and whipped its vines in Kayaba's direction.

Kayaba ducked at the first one, then hacked at the second until the Little Nepent pulled back. The vines darted forward again and Kayaba used his shield to block the attacks.

With the monster's attention now focused on him, Kayaba said, "Switch!" Yuna and Nautilus charged swinging their weapons, severing the monster's vines. It shrieked loudly and faced Nautilus, then its body inflated and its mouth gaped wide, where a gurgling sound came from within.

"Watch out! It's preparing for its breath attack!" warned Kayaba. As soon as he said it, the Little Nepent's mouth opened so wide that its crimson throat became visible, and a spray of thick pale green liquid shot out straight toward Nautilus.

The boy sidestepped just in time, and the acid splashed on the ground with a hissing sound. He charged the moment the monster closed its mouth and chained a 3-hit regular attack combo, bringing its HP to the red zone. Yuna switched in quickly, and she ended the monster with a well-placed stab to the back.

Nautilus scratched his head after the monster shattered. "I didn't get any ovule," he said disappointedly

"That's because it didn't possessed any. You have to kill the one with a flower on its head." Kayaba looked around searching for more mobs. He pointed a little further ahead. "Let's try there."

For the next twenty minutes, they hunted the Little Nepents that wandered in the forest. They settled on a rhythm; Kayaba would attract their attentions first, and once he got their aggro, Yuna and Nautilus would switch in to finish them off. Sometimes Kayaba would let Nautilus kill it alone so he could get the full EXP while he watched their surroundings for more targets.

But the ovule did not drop, even after killing at least thirty of them. Thus, they were forced to head deeper in search of more mobs. The risk in doing this was high; monsters tended to be dangerous in a forest the further you go in. Not to mention the trees which grew closer, limiting the area which you could maneuver.

"Does it usually take this long?" asked Yuna after dispatching their forty-fifth Little Nepent. She had gained two more levels in just a short time, but Kayaba could tell she was starting to grow tired from their hunt. She gripped her dagger loosely now, unlike earlier. Her attacks also missed often.

"Normally, it takes longer," answered Kayaba. "Someone taking this quest alone would probably take three hours or so. With a three-member party, it should not take an hour."

"The drop rate is that low?" Nautilus looked dismayed.

"Unfortunately," Kayaba admitted. "But don't worry. It won't be long now. Besides, this is good practice. And if you get tired, we can simply go back and continue this tomorrow morning."

Nautilus shook his head. "No. We'll keep going. We're already here. And as you've said, it will get difficult once players arrive."

"As you wish." Kayaba dipped his head, and they continued the hunt.

It was not long before the night deepened, and a cool breeze blew, bringing with it a chill that made them shiver. The darkness of the forest grew denser, forcing them to stay in a tight-knit group. The hunt was an arduous task; they could not spread out for fear of stumbling at a monster whose level was much higher than they.

Two hours passed, but the ovule did not drop. It was almost 9:30PM. They had to find it soon or else they have to go back empty-handed. Once again Kayaba suggested to return. However, Nautilus was stubborn and kept going. The boy's determination to finish the quest seemed to have gotten stronger with their one-hundredth Little Nepent, and there was no indication that he would stop anytime soon.

 _But at this rate, our equipment's durability would drop to zero._ Kayaba did not dare entertain the thoughts of what would happen to them after that. He just hoped that before it did, they already had the ovule.

A few moments later, they stopped on the fringes of another clearing where a Little Nepent shuffled around on the forest floor. Nautilus gave out an elated cry when he saw it. He was about to rush forward to attack, but Kayaba's hand grasped his shoulder firmly. He shook his head and pointed.

"It's not the one we're looking for," said Kayaba.

The monster looked just like the others they had killed before, except for a tiny addition. Above its mouth was a hard round object the size of a small fruit. It was difficult to discern in the dark, but there was no mistaking what it was.

"Isn't that a seed?" whispered Yuna so as not to attract the monster's attention.

Kayaba nodded. "It is. And if you hit it, it will release a fume that would attract other Little Nepents nearby to its location."

Nautilus swallowed hard. "Other Little Nepents?"

"Yes." Kayaba watched the monster closely. When he was sure it would not bother them, he motioned with his sword. "Let's go."

Yuna followed him quickly, but Nautilus hesitated and remained on his spot, uncertain eyes lingering on the monster. When Kayaba noticed his absence, he turned and called in a sharp voice, "Nautilus!"

The boy jumped then hastened to Yuna's side. "Sorry," he mumbled and avoided Kayaba's probing gaze.

They continued searching for several minutes. Deciding that going further would be dangerous, Kayaba led them through a path that looped back to the outskirts. Their weapons would not last much longer, and in the event that their durability dropped to zero, they could run all the way back to safety.

During their trek through the dense underbrush, Yuna started a conversation to break the unnerving silence blanketing the area. "Do you think other players have arrived in the village already?" she asked Kayaba.

"It's likely," answered Kayaba. "It's been more than two hours since the tutorial. Even if they took a longer route than us, a few should have come by now. Most, I think, are beta testers. They would want a good head start just like us."

"That means we won't be the only ones who'll take this quest, right?"

"Yes. That's why I tried my best to convince you two. If we did this tomorrow, the drop rate will be even lower due to the number of players hunting in here."

"Well, let's hope it drops soon. Otherwise, it will be Nau-kun who will drop from sleepiness." She smiled slightly. "Right, Nau-kun?"

There was no answer.

"Nau-kun?" Yuna whirled around. Nautilus was nowhere in sight. "Nau-kun? Eiji, where are you?" Her voice rose to a frantic shout.

"Open your map. He could not have gotten far!" Kayaba opened his menu and scrolled down until he found the map, hoping that Nautilus was still within range. It could only display the location of non-party members within ten meters.

"I found him!" cried Yuna and bolted to the left. Kayaba sprinted after her as they crashed through the forest.

From somewhere ahead of them, they heard Nautilus' scream.

Kayaba put up a burst of speed and went ahead of Yuna, using his senses as much as the map to locate Nautilus. The boy seemed to be on the spot where they had seen the Little Nepent with a seed, and he already had an inkling of what had happened.

Nautilus screamed again. Gripping his sword tightly, Kayaba dashed into the clearing, Yuna close behind. She screamed her friend's name.

The boy was surrounded and partially obscured by at least twenty monsters, all simultaneously attacking him. More rapidly approached in three different directions, attracted by the fumes from the Little Nepent with the seed, now ruptured. Nautilus was frozen on the spot with terror, eyes wide. His HP bar was less than 50%, and dwindling fast.

"Yuna, stay here." Kayaba dashed to assist the boy, but he knew it was hopeless. Nautilus only had a sliver of life left. He looked past Kayaba with a resigned look and opened his mouth to speak his farewell.

From somewhere behind Kayaba, a dark blur overtook him and shot past, resolving into the shape of raven-haired boy barely Nautilus' age, wielding a one-handed sword. With an expert swing of his slim right arm, the entire front row of monsters shattered one by one, giving Kayaba a clear path.

He had no time to acknowledge the stranger before he was on the Little Nepents to the left of Nautilus, slashing vines and bashing his shield against the monsters' bodies. "Nautilus, get out of here," he said to the boy once a route was open. Without a word, Nautilus scrambled away and rushed to where Yuna stood, who tackled him in a tight embrace.

It only took a minute for the combined efforts of Kayaba and the stranger to eliminate the rest of the monsters. As the last one burst into blue polygons that drifted upward to the trees, Kayaba glanced at the stranger who had helped them. He was probably no older than fourteen, with a soft and effiminate face. His dark eyes scanned the area for a moment, and when he was certain that no more monsters were approaching, he sheathed his sword to his back with a flourish and faced Kayaba.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked softly.

"Thanks to you." Kayaba regarded him with slight interest. The boy's bearings and posture suggested he was accustomed to full-dive technology, and SAO. He was sure of his movements, and when he fought, it was as if he knew where to strike efficiently without taking too much damage. Kayaba had no doubt that he was a beta tester.

The boy nodded. Flicking his gaze toward Nautilus, who had approached with Yuna once the danger had passed, he said, "That was stupid of you, attacking a seeded Little Nepent like that. You could have died if I didn't heard your screams and came here to check."

Ashamed of himself, Nautilus bowed his head and stared at the ground. "Thank you for saving my friend," said Yuna.

The boy did not respond at first. "You guys are also here because of the Secret Medicine of the Forest, right?" he asked.

Kayaba answered, "Yes, we are. We mean to get it for Nautilus here."

The player sighed. "And because the drop rate is low, your friend decided to cut to the long chase and attacked a Little Nepent with a seed to attract more monsters." He shook his head. "If you want to survive the next day, don't do that anymore."

Kayaba inclined his head slightly. "Sorry for causing you trouble. It won't happen again." _Hopefully._

The boy shuffled on his feet, an uncertain look crossing his features. "You don't have to apologize, um…" He stared expectantly at Kayaba.

"Heathcliff. Yours?"

The boy hesitated for a moment. "Kirito." He paused. "As I've said, you guys don't have to apologize. I was returning to the village, anyway."

"Oh. You've finished the quest already?" That was quite fast. Kirito must have been hunting non-stop.

Kirito nodded. "The ovule dropped a few minutes ago before I heard Nautilus' scream." His eyes suddenly became hooded, and he turned his gaze away. "Well, I gotta go. Be careful next time." He spun on his heels.

"Again, you have our thanks," said Kayaba. They watched as Kirito bid farewell with a lazy wave of his right hand and strode away, vanishing in the shadows of the forest.

…

No one had the strength left to continue afterwards, so Kayaba led them back to the village. As the warm glow of its light welcomed them, they noticed the plaza slightly crowded with players, with more arriving by the minute. They were the ones Kayaba had mentioned, and true to his words, many were already lined up outside the cottage where the Secret Medicine of the Forest quest could be taken.

Demoralized by their failure, Nautilus walked a little ways behind with his head bowed and shoulders sagging. The boy was obviously traumatized by his close call with death.

Kayaba watched him carefully. The fear of dying would prevent Nautilus from making any progress. What energy the boy had after hours of killing Little Nepents in a dark forest was gone, replaced by quavering lips and trembling hands. Even Yuna's soothing words had no effect, if at all.

They entered an inn and booked two rooms: one for Yuna and one for Kayaba and Nautilus. The boy argued to be separated, but Kayaba had insisted otherwise. He wanted to keep an eye to the boy in case he did something drastic. In the end, with much convincing from Yuna, Nautilus acceded.

As soon as Kayaba and Nautilus entered their room, the former sat on the edge of his bed and unequipped all his gear until he was only in his crimson tunic and trousers, while the latter crashed onto his bed and was immediately snoring. Kayaba briefly considered waking up the boy to tell him to get change, but he dismissed the idea. Nautilus needed rest more than any of them.

Mulling over the day's events, a thought occurred to Kayaba and he browsed through his menu until he found the administrative window where he could monitor the game from inside. A menu only unique to him, it was supposed to display the game's status, from player activity to monster spawn rates and item drop rates. It was where he would be able to forcibly ban a player or issue an announcement.

It was blank.

His fingers dug into the mattress. There could only be one explanation for this; Cardinal had stripped all his admin authority away. He was just like everyone else inside this world, another player trapped in a death game without any chance of escape until he reached the Ruby Palace at the top.

With a swipe of his right hand, Kayaba closed the menu and laid down on the hard pillows, staring at the ceiling while his thoughts drifted far and wide.

Drowsiness overtook him a few moments later, and he sank into an uneasy slumber.

* * *

He woke to a sea of darkness.

Immediately alert, Kayaba tried to sit up only to find out that he was already standing. He squinted hard deep into the abyss surrounding him. There was nothing, and yet his senses seemed unaffected. He could still feel his avatar, and hear despite the deafening silence. He knew he was not dead, for he could see his HUD and move about freely.

Suddenly he remembered what he told Rinko, and he relaxed. Of course, he was probably being transported to a hospital now. It was past six in the morning, almost seven. Rinko did as he had asked.

There was nothing else to do except to wait, and wait Kayaba did. While standing amid the darkness, he wondered how he was still alive. The most probable answer was that Cardinal had not disabled the Nerve Gear's function where, even though a player was disconnected, they would remain in the game until they logout themselves or the internet connection returned.

It was nearly 7:30 when the darkness finally receded and Kayaba's vision blurred. Color returned to the world, and he was still lying on the bed. Bright morning light streamed through the windows, bathing the room with the sun's warmth. On the opposite bed, Nautilus was still fast asleep.

Kayaba let the boy rest some more and exited the room. He knocked on the adjacent door next to theirs—Yuna's—and waited. When there was no response, he went to the tavern on the first floor.

Murmurs gradually filled the air until he reached the base of the stairs, where it exploded in a cacophony of conversations. The small room was occupied by some two dozen players, many of whom looked like they had lived through a nightmare more terrifying than being trapped in this game. As Kayaba passed between the tables, he heard mentions of a dark abyss where they did nothing but wait for the inevitable.

Yuna sat alone in the corner, quietly sipping a cup of ginger root tea. Her plate was empty, and her eyes bore a haunted look, staring in the distance. Despite that, her clothes were new. And so were the bronze dagger hanging on her left hip.

"You've been hunting," observed Kayaba and took the chair opposite Yuna. She looked up briefly, then lowered her gaze.

"Yes."

Kayaba sat down. After ordering a meal, he clasped his hands in front of him and rested them on the table. "Is there a problem, Yuna-chan?" he asked after a minute of silence between them.

Yuna shifted uneasily on the chair, rubbing her shoulders. After a while, she answered softly, "I thought I was dead. There was this endless darkness and I was all alone."

"You've been disconnected from the server. That was normal."

Yuna focused her eyes on Kayaba. "Is that what happened?"

Kayaba nodded. "I will assume it's because we've been transferred to hospitals. The Nerve Gear has the function to keep the players in a limbo state in case power or internet connection went out, though the limit is just two hours."

"I've seen other players drop to the ground without reason outside," she muttered. "What would happen if two hours passed and the connection didn't return?"

The corners of Kayaba's eyes tightened as he gave her a sad smile. "I think we all know the answer to that, Yuna-chan."

Kayaba's meal soon arrived, and he ate in silence while Yuna contemplated his answer. Their own breakfast finished, the other players began trickling out of the door to face the new day with grim determination. Only a handful remained in the inn, too afraid by what they had experienced this morning to even move.

In hindsight, this reflected the current mindset of the people trapped inside Sword Art Online. Those who could not and did not want to fight chose to remain inside the safety and comfort of safe zones, while those who could and wanted to escape the game was driven by their longing for the real world to brave Aincrad's dangers and move forward. Even as Kayaba watched, a few who had stayed behind stood up, squared their shoulders, and marched out of the inn with renewed resolve.

 _There might still be hope yet._ Of course, it still depended on whether or not they could survive. Sword Art Online's monsters were tough even by normal game standards, and there were other hazards as well: treacherous terrain, hidden traps, and a host of other factors to consider. If people were not careful, they would be killed before they could face the final boss.

Kayaba chewed his salted pork slowly. He had no doubt that Cardinal was waiting at the Ruby Palace on the topmost floor. There lay the door to their escape from this prison. And if his conjecture was right, the 100th floor boss was guarding it. To beat that thing, the players needed to get stronger.

"Good morning."

But first he had to make sure these two survived. Kayaba looked up to see Nautilus rubbing his bleary eyes. "Good morning, Nautilus-kun. Had a good sleep?"

"Somewhat," Nautilus mumbled and slumped on the chair next to Yuna. "I had a scary dream."

Kayaba and Yuna exchanged looks. "What kind of dream?" asked Kayaba.

"I was in a dark room and I was alone." He shivered. "I tried calling you guys, but no one was answering me."

"And what did you do?" Kayaba saw Yuna cast a furtive glance at him, shaking her head slightly. Kayaba immediately understood.

Nautilus shrugged. "I willed myself to wake up. After that, I found myself still on my bed just a couple of minutes ago."

"Well, I'm sure there's nothing to it," said Yuna with a nervous smile. She held her teacup with both hands and took a long drink, adding, "Don't worry too much about your dream, Nau-kun."

"You're right. Hey, what's for breakfast? I'm starving."

Kayaba watched the boy intently as he ordered his meal and ate. There was still that lingering fear in his eyes, though now he seemed to have calmed down a little. Yuna talked to him about her hunt a while ago, which surprised Kayaba. She had been grinding since the early dawn.

"You should not go out there alone," said Nautilus, brows furrowed in concern. "It's too dangerous."

"Relax, Nau-kun. I'll be fine. I just stayed near the forest fringes, and the monsters are weak in the morning. Besides," she unsheathed her bronze dagger and showed it to him, "I would not have gotten this."

His frown eased a little. "Yeah, it looks nice," he said with a touch of envy. He looked down at his meal and resumed eating, ignoring Yuna's disappointed expression.

"Is that what you're only going to say?" She pouted.

"I don't think it's even the best weapon in this floor," he muttered.

"What? I thought it was a rare drop!" Yuna glanced questioningly toward Kayaba. "Please tell me he's joking."

Kayaba chuckled. "I'm afraid Nautilus-kun is speaking the truth, Yuna-chan. A Bronze Dagger is not the best weapon you can buy on this floor. That would be the Iron Dagger which is only available in the town of Tolbana." He paused. "Speaking of which, if you two are ready, I'd like to proceed with the quest. Is that alright with you, Nautilus-kun?"

The boy fell silent and stared at his meal with a conflicted expression. His lower lip quavered a little. Yuna placed a hand on his left shoulder and opened her mouth to speak, but Nautilus suddenly spoke in a shaky breath.

"I-I can't do this."

He stood up—startling Yuna—and bolted for the stairs.

"Eiji, wait!" Yuna called and was about to follow him when Kayaba said, "Leave him be."

She looked at him with despairing eyes. "But—"

Kayaba held her with his eyes, and she sat down to her chair. "You can't do anything for now," he said softly. "It's up to him to face his fears and move forward." As he said this, the remaining guests of the inn filed outside the door.

"Just like what the rest of us are doing."

…

For the rest of the day, they did not go hunting.

Nautilus had locked himself in their room, refusing to go out no matter how hard Yuna talked to him. Kayaba knew it was a futile attempt; the boy was clearly in no state to continue. Nothing would convince Nautilus to do otherwise, and the only option they had was to wait until he recovered.

"I'm getting worried for him," Yuna said during dinner, comprised of roasted chicken and hot stir-fried vegetables. "At this rate, he might not come out until the game is cleared."

"I believe that event is unlikely." Kayaba expertly sliced his chicken into strips and speared the meat. "He will come out eventually."

Yuna frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"Because of you," he answered, stunning Yuna. Lowering his fork, Kayaba laced his fingers on top of the table. "Yuna, do you honestly think that this game can be cleared and everyone who are still alive can go back to the real world?"

"Of course! With a lot of effort and all of us working together, we can—"

Kayaba nodded before she could finish. "And do _you_ want to clear this game and return to the real world?"

Yuna blinked in confusion. "Yes, I do. It's what all of us wanted, right?"

"True. But in order to do that, you have to get stronger. And to get stronger, you'll have to reach the next town, gather EXP and Cor, and eventually challenge the floor boss. Naturally, your level will increase, your skill will improve, and you will grow stronger." As Kayaba talked, Yuna's eyes slowly widened in realization.

Kayaba gave her a rueful smile. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Yuna-chan?"

"Yes," she whispered, balling her hands.

It was not too hard for Kayaba to predict what Nautilus would do. He only had two paths to follow: the road leading to hope or the one ending in despair. The first one was where Yuna wanted to go, but the other was where Nautilus might end up in if he gave in to his fears.

Kayaba continued. "The more you get stronger, the more you will drift away. Once you do, he will have no choice but to chase you or sink further into depression."

"So it's up to me, huh?" mused Yuna.

"Partly, yes. The other half is all up to Nautilus. In the end, he would have to decide on what he wanted to do. Will he follow you to freedom or will he descend into despair?"

* * *

When Kayaba returned to the room he and Nautilus shared, he found it empty. There was no sign of Nautilus, and since the boy was not on his friend list, Kayaba could not track him.

He could ask Yuna, but his mind told him that Nautilus wanted to be alone. However… it would do no good if something were to happen to Nautilus. The boy was not in the right state of mind; he might do something drastic, like finish the quest all on his own.

After equipping his armor and sword, Kayaba left the inn. A cool breeze blew past his face as soon as he stepped outside, brushing against his steel-gray hair. Overhead, the bottom of the next floor stretched out like the ceiling of a massive cavern, dark and intimidating. There was no one in the streets except for the odd player purchasing items and repairing equipment.

Kayaba wandered around for some time. Nautilus could not have gone far. If he was indeed traumatized by his ordeal last night, he would be too terrified to leave the safe zone.

Sure enough, Kayaba came to a small patch of field next to a farm, where a row of practice dummies stood. Every town and village in the first floor had a place for the players to hone their sword skills on. It was an arduous task, though, leveling up sword skills this way. Each strike only gave half of what a player would normally get when fighting monsters. But it was the safest way, and Kayaba understood why Nautilus went here.

The boy attacked the dummy farthest from Kayaba, swinging his sword over and over again against the bundled straw and cloth sack. His weapon glowed blue every time he struck, and he punctuated each one with a frustrated yell. Kayaba watched quietly from afar as Nautilus' attacks grew fast and erratic until he was slashing wildly. A strangled howl escaped Nautilus and he dropped his sword then collapsed on all fours, panting heavily.

His leather sandals barely making a sound on the soft grass, Kayaba approached the troubled teen. Nautilus punched the ground repeatedly, his shoulders trembling. Tears fell from his boyish face. And with each blow of his fist were the words, "I'm weak!" He was so engrossed with his self-harm that he failed to notice Kayaba looming to his right.

Kayaba said, "Everyone is weak, Nautilus-kun. One way or another. What we must do is overcome those weaknesses."

The boy looked up. His face was twisted with anguish and he cried rivers of tears. "How can I do that if I'm—"

"Tell me. What is Yuna to you?"

Nautilus lowered his gaze again. "Someone I will lay down my life for," he murmured. "But I am weak. Every time I remember what happened last night, my whole body freezes. I'm afraid of dying!" He slammed his head on the ground and sobbed. "I can't protect her like this!"

Seeing the distraught boy, Kayaba recalled the time where he had been powerless to save the person he held dear. He had done much the same, beating the ground and cursing the heaven for his weakness. The only difference with Nautilus was the situation itself.

"Nautilus, it is only natural to be afraid," Kayaba said in a gentle tone. "Even I am afraid f dying. But that should not stop us from continuing with our lives. There are others who, despite their fast approaching deaths, keep on smiling."

Nautilus sniffled and looked up once more. Kayaba continued. "In the real world, people are twice as vulnerable to death. And yet they move forward and live life to the fullest. On this world, that limitation doesn't apply. You can increase your HP, and thus ensure your survival. You can get weapons you can use to defend yourself. Most of all, you can grow stronger."

"Can I really do that? Can I become strong?" asked Nautilus doubtfully.

"Do you want to protect Yuna?" Nautilus nodded, and Kayaba offered his hand, smiling faintly.

"Then you can."

…

The next morning did not come as a surprise to Kayaba when Nautilus joined him and Yuna for breakfast and announced, "I'd like to finish the quest today."

Kayaba stopped eating, and Yuna brightened up like daylight. "Really, Nau-kun?"

Nautilus nodded. "I realized I can't sulk forever." He stared at his hands for a moment. "I have to do my part to help everyone clear this game. And I have to grow stronger to protect you."

Yuna smiled. "Thank you, Eh-kun."

Lowering his spoon, Kayaba fixed his gaze on Nautilus. "Are you sure about this, Nautilus-kun? It will be dangerous, and it will be hard. We are three days behind the other players."

"I'm willing to do everything to catch up."

Kayaba nodded. "Then as soon as you two are done eating, we'll proceed with the quest."

They quickly finished their meal, and for the next five hours they hunted the Little Nepents within the forest. So great was Nautilus' elation when the Little Nepent's Ovule finally dropped that he a gave shout of joy and embraced Yuna, much to her embarrassment.

After acquiring the Anneal Blade, the party continued their hunt throughout the day and the night when shadows crept over the land and monsters were stronger. They grind for days, accumulating experience and Cor, and upgrading their equipment and leveling up their skills, until Horunka was no longer an efficient hunting ground and they had to move on to the next village.

Then a week and a half passed. Level 6 became 10, and level 10 became 15. They transitioned from simple leather armor to iron, and in Yuna's case, an excellent cloth ensemble possessing the highest agility stats the floor could offer. Nautilus grew confident with each level acquired, and he learned more one-handed sword skills. Their party grew stronger, and they soon caught up to those who were forging ahead.

Until at last, they reached Tolbana, second largest town in the first floor.

"Is this it?" Yuna craned her head up the 300-meter stone tower outside the town. It was so high that low hanging clouds partially obscured the top, where it joined with the second floor.

Kayaba followed her gaze. "Yes. The Tower Labyrinth, comprised of twenty floors. Waiting at the top is the first floor boss."

"How far have they mapped out already?" wondered Yuna.

"As far as the 8th floor," answered Kayaba. He knew it would only get more difficult beyond that. During the beta test, the survival rate of a party going inside was less than 50%. Now that SAO had become a death game, he heard it went down to less than 10%.

"Are you guys ready?" asked Kayaba as he hefted the heavy tower shield he now carried on his left hand. He had gone through great lengths just to acquire the skill to equip it. With this, he could properly fulfill his role as a tank.

To his left, Nautilus, now wearing a light iron breastplate, nodded. "Lead the way, Heathcliff-san."

And so Kayaba led them through the stone arched entrance, where darkness welcomed them as they took their first step toward freedom.

* * *

 **i'm posting this 3 days(or 4 depending on your timezone) before the release of Alicization arc's pilot episode.**

 **Originally, this chapter would end with the defeat of Illfang the Kobold Lord. But given how large it already was, I had to move that part to the next chapter.**

 **For those wondering, yes, the Horunka portion of this chapter is based on Volume 8 of the light novel, specifically the First Day side story. Hence, the appearance of Kirito. With that said, there were major changes as well, evident by the Nautilus segments.**

 **As for the overall plot of this fic, I can only say that it will loosely follow the progressive novels all the way up to volume 4. After that, I will start greatly diverging from canon.**

 **Really sorry for the long wait, everyone. Hopefully, this chapter makes up for that. Please Read & Review!**

 **Until next time!**


	3. The Brave and The Bold

**ACT I**

* * *

Chapter 2: The Brave and The Bold

" _Onii-chan, why does every people have to die?"_

 _Startled, a young Akihiko Kayaba stared at the face of her sister. Pallid skin, sunken cheeks, and an expression of genuine curiosity. She stared back at him expectantly, and Kayaba felt obliged to answer._

" _Because it is the nature of this world, Ayako."_

" _Oh."_

 _With that, Ayako twisted her head and gazed at the skies outside the glass windows of her room in silence. Kayaba frowned and tried to gauge his sister's mood. It started getting difficult when her illness worsened and she had to be confined for longer periods of time. At times, it was hard for her to eat, and she kept sleeping for an entire day._

" _I wonder what Mama and Papa are doing right now?"_

 _Kayaba stiffened, and the drawing pencil he had been holding for the past thirty minutes threatened to slip from his hand. Fortunately, he managed to hold on._

 _Their parents… Their parents had died in a car crash last week on the way to the hospital. He had heard it first from their aunt, and he had immediately rushed to the emergency room where he beheld the ambulances unloading the broken bodies. They were still alive when they arrived. The doctors tried everything, but it was too late._

 _Kayaba returned to Ayako's room after the bodies were wheeled out to the morgue. His entire body shook all the way, and he let the tears fell until he stood outside his sister's room. For a moment, he could not bear to enter. What would he say to her? That their parents would not be coming back? That they left her first before she did? It would break her._

 _So he steeled himself and told her nothing except that they were just promoted and had to work overseas in the United States. The sudden news shocked her, and she was miserable for days after finding out. Once she asked him to call them, and he reasoned that they were busy, which resulted in her getting angry. So Kayaba tried to 'call' them. But when he got a busy tone, Ayako stopped trying and simply waited for their return._

 _"I'm sure they are doing just fine," he answered in a steady voice._

 _His sister did not respond. Slightly fearing that she already knew, Kayaba touched her cold fingers. "Ayako?"_

 _She stirred, but did not look his way. "I'm alright. I was just thinking."_

 _Kayaba smiled in relief. "And what are you thinking?" he asked gently. With a sigh, Ayako replied in a soft voice._

" _I wish there is a world where no one has to die."_

* * *

It was almost 4pm, but the city of Tolbana was alive with activity.

Situated at the very north, it was the second largest city on the first floor, with many shops usually found only in the Starting City. Unlike most towns and villages, Tolbana was well equipped to provide players with everything they needed: inns, restaurants, a blacksmith, and even a meeting place for raid groups. One reason was the Tower Labyrinth piercing the sky outside the city. Back during the beta test, this was the home base of many players attempting to climb the tower and defeat the First Floor Boss.

Now, it still was. Unfortunately, the boss room still had not been found.

Kayaba pondered this dilemma as he strolled along the cobbled streets, passing others engaged in conversations. Tolbana was a city filled with parks and fountains, and he saw many sitting on benches or on the soft grass, their voices mixing together in the air. The topics varied—from the number of levels each individual had gained over the past three days to the nice weather bathing Aincrad—but most, if not all, were about today's meeting.

Nearly a month had passed since the death game began, and yet the boss room was nowhere to be found. For days the players braving the Tower Labyrinth scoured the top floor, but they could not find the room; even Kayaba, who had a hand in planning every 20th floor of the Towers, was mystified by the different layout.

Then again, Cardinal was always watching. She must have changed the map to make things more difficult.

And so the players spent the days without rest searching every nook and cranny for that almost nonexistent room. They had been exploring for three days now, seemingly without the end in sight… until a message spread yesterday about a meeting in Tolbana at 4pm. The topic was not disclosed, neither was the organizer. But Kayaba had an idea what it was about.

As he neared the amphitheater directly next to the central fountain plaza, he noticed several groups of players walking in the same direction. Many paid no attention to their surroundings and chatted with their friends, but there were some who began whispering the moment Kayaba passed, pointing in his direction.

"Isn't he that guy who fights on the tower with just two other party members?"

"You mean that party with the cute girl?"

"I heard they never suffered a casualty at all…"

Kayaba ignored the comments and continued on his way, all the while hiding a faint smile. It seemed their reputation had spread, and he was glad that Yuna and Nautilus were off hunting at the Tower. He did not want to attract too much attention to themselves.

Upon reaching his destination, Kayaba gazed down with interest. The amphitheater was heavily influenced by Roman architecture; stone pillars spaced evenly at the top, and ten levels of tiered seats, like an arena.

Within these seats were players, and he did not expect so many of them. They were at least forty, maybe forty-five, with most wearing the best equipment the floor offered. He saw a hulking African-American player in a breastplate with a battle-axe slung across his back, sitting next to his friends. Off to the far left, at the second topmost level, a man with orange spiked hair and garbed in scale mail sat with his arms crossed, tapping his right foot impatiently on the stone. Leaning at one of the columns ringing the area was a small hooded figure watching the proceedings in utter silence. And to Kayaba's right, a few yards away, were two players. One was shrouded in a brown cloak with the hilt of a rapier visible from the waist, and the other was…

Kayaba raised an eyebrow in surprise, but before he could call to the person, a clear voice rang across the amphitheater.

"Thank you all for coming here! I know this was done on very short notice, but I'm glad that so many has answered my summon."

All conversations stopped, and all eyes turned toward the speaker. Tall and fit, the man's expression exuded confidence and hope. Light blue hair swaying as he looked around for a moment, he smiled and continued.

"My name is Diavel. And I know this may sound funny, but I'd like to consider myself as a knight."

Soft laughter rippled among the crowd, and even Kayaba managed a tiny smile. Technically, Sword Art Online had no Job System, unlike other MMORPGs. However, if a player chose very specific skills and equipment, he or she could replicate job classes like a warrior or a ninja.

Judging by the small shield on his back and the light plate armor he wore, Diavel was the exact image of his self-proclaimed job. Combined with his charismatic smile, he was indeed a knight in every sense of the word.

"Alright, please settle down." Diavel's smile faded, and his voice took a serious tone. "I called you here for one simple reason. I'm sure some of you have guessed it by now."

All waited with their breaths held; some even leaned forward in rapt attention. And then the announcement came like a hammer blow.

"Just last night, my party finally finished mapping the 20th Labyrinth Floor… and found the boss room."

Murmurs of shock swept among the attendees this time. Many could not believe what they just heard, and even a few were skeptical. But Diavel's calm expression and next words silenced them and erased their doubts in an instant.

"I know it has been a difficult month for all of us. Many have died during the first week alone, and more after entering the Tower. But we cannot let those deaths be in vain! As the top players in the frontline, we must set an example. We must kill this boss, open the doors to the second floor, and prove to everyone that this death game can be cleared!"

The gathered players broke to a loud cheer, whistling and hollering their agreements. In just a few sentences, Diavel managed to boost everyone's morale. It was an impressive feat considering their current situation, and Kayaba wondered if the man had experienced leading people in real life.

"Now, about this bo—"

"WAIT!"

The Osakan accent voice came from the spiky haired player, who now leapt down from seat to seat until he landed in front of Diavel, panting slightly. Diavel regarded him curiously. "Who are you?" he asked with a frown.

"The name's Kibaou." The man indicated to himself with a jerk of his thumb in his chest. "I'm one of the players who came here because of your message."

"Um, right." Diavel stared uncertainly at Kibaou. "Then Kibaou-san, what is—"

Before Diavel could finish his sentence, Kibaou turned around with a fierce scowl and raised his voice. "I'm here because I just need to clarify something before we begin this meeting."

"Clarify something?" Diavel interjected politely. Many players were shifting uneasily now, muttering unsavory words toward Kibaou. Who was this upstart who had rudely interrupted this meeting?

"Yes! It's about those damn beta testers!" Kibaou growled. "They should apologize for causing the deaths of 2,000 players!"

The mood in the amphitheater shifted, turning as dark as a storm cloud. It was no secret that after the first day, the beta testers seemingly vanished from sight, only to re-emerge a week later with levels and gears much higher than the rest of them. It was one of the reasons why Kayaba did not venture away from Horunka until two weeks had passed, at which point Yuna and Nautilus were well accustomed to fighting and the forest around the village was no longer efficient for grinding.

"Apologize to us?" Diavel repeated slowly. Kayaba caught the slight twitch in the man's eyes, prompting him to narrow his gaze in interest. Was Diavel a former beta tester?

Kibaou nodded. "Yes. And not only that, but give us compensations for what they did! Because of them, our levels are way behind and we did not get good equipment. That is unfair to everyone who wants to clear this game!"

The attendees grew restless at the outburst, glancing around as if expecting someone to declare himself as a beta tester and what Kibaou had demanded. But no one stood up, though Kayaba noticed a few looking down at their feet in shame.

Diavel included.

"Excuse me. May I speak for a moment?"

From the middle seats rose the African-American player Kayaba had seen earlier. All eyes turned toward him, his impressive height attracting undivided attention. The man dwarfed everyone easily, and when he climbed down to stand in front of Kibaou, the spiky haired man's head barely reached chin-level.

"And who might you be?" Despite the slight squeak in his voice, Kibaou stared in defiance at the giant.

"Agil," the player said in a deep baritone. To Diavel, he said, "Can I have a few words?"

Diavel smiled. "Of course, Agil-san. What do you want to say?"

"This." Agil materialized a small book in his hand and held it up in front of Kibaou. "This is the beginner's guide book anyone could find in item shops all over the cities and towns. It is constantly updated with new content for every player to read. You all have one, don't you?"

Diavel nodded, but Kibaou simply frowned. "Yeah. What of it?"

Agil held the book high in the air for all to see. "This book is written by beta testers."

Silence descended on the amphitheater. The reactions varied from shock to curiosity to disbelief. In the case of Kibaou, it was irritation.

"So what?" he demanded with a sneer. "It's the least they can do for abandoning us."

"So what?" Agil repeated, his deep-set eyes boring into Kibaou until the smaller player swallowed thickly. "Do you know that almost 20% of the 2,000 players who died so far in the game were all beta testers? Some were my friends. You're saying they abandoned us? They didn't."

"Prove it," challenged Kibaou. "If they didn't left us to fend for ourselves, why did so many died? You said some of your friends were beta testers? Well, _my_ friends died because of those people!"

Agil stared at him for a moment, then dipped his head. "I'm sorry. But," he added in a firm tone, "you can't deny that this book I hold is made by beta testers. And yet so many still died, including some of them. You can't just blame these players who are helping us."

"Helping us? They are not even helping us! They are just a bunch of selfish basta—"

"Enough."

Diavel's voice was soft, and yet the firmness and authority in it silenced the two players in an instant. Lips pursed in a thin line, Diavel said placatingly, "Agil-san, Kibaou-san, please stop. We are in a meeting to determine the fate of all trapped here. Let's not fight each other." He paused, waiting for their response.

Agil's went first. "My apologies, Diavel-san. You're right. We should not fight." His eyes flicked to Kibaou, who looked away with a scowl.

"Right, right. I'm sorry too," muttered Kibaou. Diavel smiled.

"Good. Then let's continue this meeting." As soon as the two players returned to their seats,

Diavel opened his menu and materialized the same book Agil had shown them. After flipping through the first few pages, he cleared his throat and said, "Well, just like what Agil-san said, this book contains important information. And that includes the First Floor Boss. According to this, we are going to fight Illfang the Kobold Lord. It has a bone axe as its initial weapon and a small buckler as defense, but once his HP gauge drops to the last bar, he will switch to a talwar. At level 5, he doesn't have too much stats. However, he is protected by three minions called Ruin Kobold Sentinels, and they…"

Kayaba tuned out the rest of the briefing. He already knew all of Illfang's information, including his attack patterns and sword skills. He was more interested on the speaker, Diavel.. The way he reacted to Kibaou's rant was highly suspicious, and the only explanation Kayaba could think of was that Diavel was a beta tester himself.

However, the equipment he wore was of a low quality than one would expect from someone who knew the best hunting spots and secret quests. Perhaps, and this was just Kayaba's conjecture, Diavel did not want anyone doubting his motives. He was willing to disguise himself as a regular player just so he could earn the trust of others.

"And that's it for the boss meeting," Diavel finished and closed the book. "It's almost dinner, so I won't keep you here any longer. Once you've formed your party, meet me back here at 8pm so we can discuss our strategy."

With loud murmurs of assent, the players stood up and dispersed back to the plaza

…

Ten minutes later, Kayaba found the person he was looking for, sitting next to his hooded companion on a bench beside a fountain and eating a loaf of bread. Clad in a leather armor and coat, the boy was just as Kayaba remembered, dark-haired and a little effeminate.

"Kirito-kun?" Kayaba greeted. Upon hearing his voice, the boy looked up from his food with a slight frown.

"Yes?"

Kayaba waited for a heartbeat. When Kirito's confused expression remained, Kayaba said quickly, "Ah, I'm sorry. We've only met once back in Horunka on the first day. My name is Heathcliff. Do you remember now?"

Kirito's face scrunched a little, then realization struck him a couple of seconds later. "Oh, Heathcliff-san! Yes, I remember now." He glanced around as if searching for someone. "Where are—"

"Yuna and Nautilus?" guessed Kayaba. "They are still hunting at the Tower, but they should be back within the hour. It's good to see you here, Kirito-kun."

The boy nodded. "Yeah. It's good to see you too."

"You know this man?" The hooded figure next to Kirito inquired, whose voice was that of a young girl. Kayaba stared keenly at her. Her hood was drawn low over her face, hiding everything except for her lips.

"Friend of yours, Kirito-kun?"

"Sort of," Kirito said uncertainly, glancing sideways at the girl. When she looked pointedly at him, he immediately averted his gaze and cleared his throat. "We were just partying for the day."

"And we plan to join the boss fight," the girl added before taking a bite at her cream-slathered bread.

"Do you now? Just the two of you?" asked Kayaba. The maximum number of members in a party was six. Kayaba did not see anyone beside Kirito and the girl.

Kirito grimaced. "Well, the others already formed a group with each other. And we got… left behind."

An uncomfortable silence fell. Kirito looked away with a slight frown, while his companion busied herself with the bread. After a while, Kayaba finally asked, "Are you seeking another party member? I'm also going to join the boss raid, and I think we are the only ones who haven't formed a group yet."

Kirito and the girl exchanged looks. "You're offering us help?" The girl lifted her head a little and peered at Kayaba from underneath her hood.

Kayaba dipped his head slightly. "As your tanker, yes. I presume you are both built for burst DPS?"

"Tanker? DPS?" The girl asked and tilted her head to the side, mystified. Kayaba blinked in surprise while Kirito explained terms to her.

 _She is a newbie?_ "You haven't played an MMORPG before, have you?" Kayaba said slowly. She must be one of those who had locked themselves in some inns at Starting City and never came out until now. But that did not explain how she managed to survive and reach Tolbana without any knowledge of the game.

The girl shook her head and, with a little embarrassment coloring her tone, answered, "No. This is my first time playing a game like this."

Kayaba detected the slight edge in her tone, and he was certain she was not just talking about SAO as a VRMMORPG. "I see. In that case, please accept my offer. I'm sure we can fight the boss much easier if there is the three of us."

The girl looked down for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. "Alright. If it's fine with you and Kirito."

"It's fine," Kirito said and sent a party request, which Kayaba accepted. As two lifebars appeared below his own, he saw the names [Kirito] and [Asuna].

"Asuna?"

The girl started. "How do you know?" she asked with a note of suspicion.

It was Kirito who answered. "Er, you don't know?"

"What?"

"On the upper left corner of your HUD, there is a green HP bar with your name above it, right? When you are in a party, the names of your party members will appear below your status gauge… You see it now?"

Asuna's mouth hang opened for a moment, and then she promptly closed it with a soft giggle. "Oh, sorry. I didn't know it was there all along."

"So you've been partying with me without even knowing my name?" Kirito said, half grumbling and half incredulously.

Asuna shrugged her lithe shoulders a little. "As I've said, this is my first game."

 _And yet you survived up to this point._ Kayaba was sure that given enough time, Asuna could become a strong player. She had potential, if the way she carried herself was an indication.

"I'm sure you can learn a lot from Kirito-kun here," said Kayaba. Of course, there was also the boy. Kayaba saw his expression of guilt earlier when Kibaou was blaming the beta testers, and he was now certain Kirito was one. A player like him could reach untold heights in this game.

"Heathcliff-san!"

All three of them turned to the voice, and a faint smile formed on Kayaba's lips. Approaching them side by side along the cobblestone path were Yuna and Nautilus, returning from their hunt. The former waved in Kayaba's direction, but stopped in her tracks upon seeing Kirito. Elbowing Nautilus on the ribs, Yuna pointed animatedly at Kirito. Her childhood friend's eyes widened in recognition and he hurried forward.

"Glad you two are back safe," Kayaba greeted once the two joined them.

"It was getting dark, so we decided to return," said Nautilus. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet and glanced at Kirito, his mouth moving slightly. When no words came out, Yuna elbowed him again, prompting him to straightened up and composed himself. "It's good to see you again, Kirito-san. You might not remember me anymore, but I'm—"

Kirito nodded. "Back in Horunka's forest. Yes, I remember." His gaze flicked to the sword at Nautilus' back. "So you managed to finish the quest?"

"Yeah. Thanks to you." Nautilus drew his Anneal Blade and showed it to Kirito. The blade was black with a silver hilt and a faint glow at the edges. With a questioning look, Kirito held out a hand, and Nautilus handed it to him. As Kirito stood and swung it experimentally, he said, "It's fast. Is this upgraded?"

"Yes. Plus four, 2Q2S."

Kirito smiled and returned the sword to Nautilus' hands. "You got a good sword. Take care of it."

Nautilus bowed deeply. "Thank you, Kirito-san."

There was an awkward pause. Then Kirito said, "So how have you been since…"

While the two boys were engaged in conversation, Kayaba introduced Yuna to Asuna. "I never thought I'd see another girl," said Yuna excitedly. She shook Asuna's hand, twisting her head a little to get a peek underneath her hood. "Why are you hiding your face?"

Startled at the question, Asuna withdrew her hand. As if by some instinct, she pulled down her hood even lower. "Sorry. I just don't want attention."

Yuna nodded. "Mmm, I think I understand. Being a girl sure gets you many weird looks from other players." She smiled slightly. "So you know Kirito-san?"

Shaking her head, Asuna answered. "No. We just met only this morning, at the Tower. He said there will be a boss meeting today, so I joined him."

Yuna suddenly snapped her fingers. "Oh, right! I almost forgot about that." Drawn by the sound, Nautilus stopped in the middle of recounting his recent exploits to Kirito and stared at Yuna, giving her an encouraging nod. Taking a deep breath, the girl faced Kayaba with a determined expression.

"Heathcliff-san?"

"Yes, Yuna?"

"We are planning to join the boss fight."

Kayaba furrowed his brows. Yuna wore a beige and blue light cloth armor, with a cape that enhanced evasion and boots for increased movement speed. Her dagger, a monster drop they got from the Tower's 17th floor, had a bonus to light armored monsters. Then there was Nautilus, who was garbed in light plate armor and wielded the Anneal Blade.

Their stats were definitely as high as his, both of them level 13, and they were now capable of hunting in the Tower without his guidance. But a boss fight was different. The monsters' level were higher and their attacks even more deadlier compared to the ones roaming the field zones. Moreover, Kayaba did not know if Cardinal had changed Illfang's stats. There were too many factors that could go wrong.

And yet he could not refuse Yuna. It was not a request, but her decision. Kayaba saw the resolve within her eyes. Even if he left her here, she would find a way to join the raid. And naturally, Nautilus would follow her.

"Are you sure about this? You could die." Kayaba was not scaring her. He was just making sure that Yuna knew the situation she was going to enter.

Yuna nodded firmly. "Yes. I've thought about this all day, and I realize that I can't remain watching while others risk their lives in trying to clear this game. I have to contribute something."

"And you, Nautilus?" Kayaba asked and glanced toward the boy. With only the slightest hint of uncertainty, Nautilus replied, "I'll follow Yuna wherever she goes."

"So be it. If that's your decision, I won't stop you. However," Kayaba's gaze slid to Kirito, "the party leader will be the one to decide if he will let you join."

Four pairs of eyes suddenly focused on the boy, which made him step back a little. He scratched his head in bewilderment, his eyes jumping from one person to the next, until they fell on Asuna. "Is it alright if we let them in?" he asked.

Asuna cocked her head. "You are the party leader. Why ask me?"

"I just thought you don't want any other person in our group."

"There's only two of us," Asuna pointed out. "If we want to defeat the boss, don't you think that more people is good? Besides, our party is just temporary, isn't it? It doesn't matter if there are five of us."

"You… You're right." Kirito closed his mouth and sighed. A minute passed as he seemingly contemplated his response. Then he nodded. "Fine. I'll accept you two." He sent Yuna and Nautilus the party requests.

"Thank you," said Yuna and bowed. Kirito simply nodded.

"Now what?" asked Nautilus. Shrugging, Kirito answered.

"Now we report back to Diavel."

…

The sun was setting when they filed within the amphitheater. As before, Diavel stood by the front and center, surrounded by six other people—the party leaders for each group. The seats were packed with the remaining players from the first meeting, thirty-two in all.

While the others sat on the top level, Kirito approached Diavel in slow steps. The other leaders, including Agil and Kibaou, watched as he greeted their raid leader with a polite nod. "Excuse me. I'm here to represent my party for the upcoming boss fight.

"Who are you?" inquired Kibaou in a not so friendly tone. His gaze settled for a moment on the Anneal Blade sheathed across Kirito's back.

"Kirito," answered the boy.

Diavel smiled warmly. "Glad to have you here, Kirito-san. May I ask where is your party?" He looked past him and searched the gathered players.

Kirito pointed up the seats. "There. We are one member short, though," he said apologetically.

Diavel nodded and swept his gaze over them. "I see. That's fine, Kirito-san. I do not expect this raid to be a full one anyway. And you have a tanker. Your party will surely be valuable."

"Thanks," said Kirito. He took his spot next to Agil and waited until Diavel spoke again.

"Alright. It looks like everyone is here, so let's begin the strategy meeting!"

For the next thirty minutes, Diavel outlined their strategy for defeating Illfang, as well as the distribution of loots. It was rather simple, and Kayaba thought it was enough to kill the boss without suffering a casualty; four parties to take on the boss, while a group each to distract its minions. The last one would act as reserve, switching in as needed while supporting the Destroy Teams led by Kibaou. However…

"Why are we being put in reserve?" wondered Yuna aloud. Next to her, Asuna crossed her arms.

"I want to know that too," she muttered. "Not only that. We are supposed to assist that Kibaou as well?" She shook her head in displeasure.

That part of the plan was indeed odd, but Kayaba understood it well. "I suspect it's because we are not a full party, and we are not geared for a specific role." Even so, there was something unusual about the setup. Even if Kayaba was the only tanker in their party, that should have gotten them a place in the front.

"Maybe we can ask for a reshuffle?" suggested Nautilus.

"No, this is good enough," said Kayaba. "We will be out of danger, and we can still help the others by observing attack patterns. Worst case scenario, we have to switch in with one of the assault teams, but I don't see that happening."

They spent the remainder of the briefing in utter silence, listening as Diavel reiterated the importance of teamwork. When he finished, he put up an encouraging smile and said with his sword raised high, "Tomorrow at 11 in the morning, we will take a step toward our freedom!"

And so the strategy meeting with the deafening cheers of the players and their morale soaring as high as the sky.

* * *

The next morning arrived bright and clear, almost as if acknowledging the players' courage and resolve. Many were in high spirits, and even those who would not participate in the boss fight gathered in the central plaza of Tolbana to bid the raid teams good luck.

Since the final briefing was still an hour away, the raid parties spent the time to prepare for the upcoming battle. They were hopeful of their success, but not confident, so they did everything to make sure they were ready. Weapons and armors were repaired, potions stocked, and individual strategies finalize. Boss fights were often unpredictable; one mistake and the raid teams would collapse. Thus, they could not afford to make mistake.

Then the appointed hour finally came. Forty-seven players gathered in the amphitheater one last time, and with Diavel giving one of his encouraging speeches again, marched to the Tower Labyrinth. The journey took them thirty minutes, which they used to get as much EXP as they could. Some even gained a level or two, boosting their already high morale, for every strength was needed. It rose even higher as they climbed the tower, where more EXP was in abundance.

When they reached the large stone doors barring the boss room, everyone stopped and held their breaths. A terrifying mural of a mighty beast with large fangs and a wicked bone axe dominated the front, like a warning for all who would dare enter.

No one turned back. They had gotten this far already. They would see to this until the end.

As Diavel stepped forward to open the door, the players readied their weapons. At the back, next to Kirito, Kayaba drew a silver longsword and hefted his silver tower shield. "Remember: we will stay at the back until we are needed." He was not the party leader, but he helped Kirito devised their strategy for this fight.

The others nodded. With a grating sound, the stone doors opened. Diavel entered a dark hall cautiously, followed by the rest of the raid group. It was pitch black, but they could glimpse a wide empty space in front of them. As the last player filed inside, a torch along the walls on either side blazed to life, then another, and another, running along the far end and illuminating the whole room with bright orange lights.

Only then did they saw what they were in for.

The room stretched three hundred feet across and a quarter wide. Cracks filled the floors and walls, as if the inhabitants had stomped and danced inside on a drunken haze. Bones littered the chamber, their empty eye sockets gazing lifelessly into the abyss, while on one side was a large metal rack filled with an assortment of weapons. In the middle of the room, the floor was decorated with the same image of the boss… and at the farthest end a crude throne of bones stood upon an elevated dais, wherein a huge monster sat.

Kayaba remembered during the game's development that he ordered the design team to make Illfang as terrifying as they could. He did not participate during the boss fight in the beta, so this was the first time he had seen it in full. And if only he could congratulate his team, he would. Illfang was every bit what a Kobold lord looked like; almost twice the height of a regular human, and incredibly muscular on the arms. Its rotund belly jut forward, but that was no indication of its speed; Kayaba knew that it could jump around faster than any of them.

Its head was initially bowed when they entered, as if sleeping. But when all the torches burst to flames, it lifted its muzzle and opened its eyes, red with rage and malevolence. Saliva dribbled from its mouth, which gaped wide as it let out a long ferocious roar, baring its sharp teeth. It stood up and pulled a bone axe and buckler leaning on either side of the throne, then leapt onto the floor, huge clawed feet cracking the stone; behind its waist, another weapon wrapped in cloth hung. A shrill cry escaped its maw then, and a hidden door next to the throne spilled three of its minions, who positioned themselves in front of their master, halberds ready.

Some of the younger players in the raid group quailed at the sight, but Diavel simply took a step, pointed his sword forward, and roared two words.

"COMMENCE ATTACK!"

Thus, the boss battle of the first floor began.

…

The fight went smoothly for almost twenty minutes.

While Kibaou's team and two others distracted the minions, who possessed half the amount of life bars as their master, Diavel's main group went for Illfang. Agil and his heavy assault team took the lead, dishing out damage with their battle-axes and maces. Diavel stayed behind with his party, barking orders to the group.

"The first bar is gone! Group B, fall back! Group C, switch in!"

Agil's party retreated as soon as the first HP bar shattered and was replaced by a group of hammer wielders with tower shields—the first tank group. As they exchanged blows with Illfang, the boss began using sword skills in earnest.

Meanwhile, the distraction force was doing well. Kibaou's group took care of the first wave of minions, killing them just as Illfang lost an HP bar. When the second wave appeared—jumping down from hidden alcoves on the walls high above—they charged them head-on.

"So far, so good," muttered Yuna. She fingered the hilt of her dagger and watched the battle unfold with rapt attention.

"Let's hope this keeps up until we defeat the boss," said Kayaba. With his shield planted in front, he looked very much like a knight guardian. His plate armor shone by the light cast by the torches, giving him an orange hue. Eyes darting to each monster, he surveyed the battle together with his party. His gaze, though, often tracked the two members of their group.

As soon as the third wave appeared, Kirito and Asuna went for a Sentinel that had slipped past Kibaou's group, who was one party short after Group F broke off to assist Group D in fighting Illfang. The two tackled the lone Sentinel, and Kayaba marveled at how they worked so well together. While Kirito blocked the minion's attacks and deflected the halberd, Asuna would move in to perform a Linear, striking the monster's weak point: its throat.

Individually, they were both excellent fighters. Kirito wasted no time in his attacks, spending less movement in executing sword skills to exploit the minion's weakness. On the other hand, Asuna was on the same level, even _better_. She was fast, so fast that her thrusts seemed like a blur of motion, and her shining rapier a flash of light.

 _Like a lightning,_ thought Kayaba. And he knew that when this battle ended, Asuna would become one of the strongest players alongside Kirito.

"They're good," Nautilus whispered in awe.

Soon the battle neared its end. Illfang's third HP vanished after a sword skill pierced its thick armor. Howling in fury, the boss monster dropped its axe and buckler, and reached behind its waist.

Kayaba readied his sword and shield at that moment, while Yuna and Nautilus drew their weapons, alert. This was the final phase. They had to be prepared for the worst scenario. Above, the hidden alcoves on the walls spawned the last batch of Sentinels, who deposited themselves in the middle of the room. One was surrounded by Kibaou's group, and another clashed with Agil's party. The third, Kirito and Asuna engaged.

However, there was a fourth—a stray that had not been defeated when Illfang lost his third life gauge. It now made its way to Diavel's party, who was preparing to attack Illfang.

"Yuna, Nautilus, assist Kirito and Asuna. I'll deal with the fourth Sentinel." Without waiting for their response, Kayaba dashed forward.

He reached his target in five seconds, at which point he was close enough to execute a piercing strike. His blade struck the armor protecting the kobold's back, but it fulfilled his plan of gaining the monster's attention. Growling, the Sentinel twisted around to face him.

Kayaba struck, and the Kobold lifted its halberd to deflect the blow, then counterattacked with an overhead swipe. Kayaba raised his shield and blocked. Faster than the eye could see, he thrust forward from behind his defense and impaled the monster's throat.

The Sentinel howled, staggering. Kayaba pressed his assault, alternating between blocking and striking. Its last HP gauge only had a sliver of red left. Less than three critical strikes and the battle would be over.

While his sword glowed for the finishing blow, Kayaba noticed something at the corner of his vision. Diavel had ordered his party to surround the boss while he charged, intent on it alone. The reason he did so, Kayaba realized, was to get the last attack bonus item, which confirmed Kayaba's suspicion that Diavel was indeed a beta tester. However… the cloth that covered Illfang's second weapon had come fully undone as it raised the blade, and the shape was wrong. It was longer and thinner than usual. And instead of cast iron like what a talwar should be made of, it was forged steel.

No, that was not a talwar. That was a nodachi; the attack patterns had changed! Kayaba was about to shout a warning—ignoring the dire consequences it would place him in—but someone beat him to it.

"Watch out! It's a different weapon!" yelled Kirito. With a panicked expression, he dashed past Asuna and sprinted toward Illfang, sword glowing blue. To a beginner's eye, it might seem he was going to steal the last hit from Diavel. But Kayaba saw things differently. Kirito was not going to do that. His trajectory, the sword skill he was activating, the determined look on his face.

He was going to disrupt Illfang's attack.

But it was too late. Illfang's blade shone bloody red. Roaring loudly, it jumped high in the air, somersaulted once, and landed behind Diavel _and_ in front of his party. The power from the jump accumulated on the blade, and with a victorious howl, Illfang released a sword skill Kayaba recognized as Tsumujiguruma.

Illfang spun like a tornado and struck Diavel's party in one vicious strie, thrwing them away like rag dolls. Most landed in a mess around the room, but Diavel collapsed a dozen yards to Kayaba's right. Each of the party members had a spinning three stars above ther heads: a stunned icon which prevented a player from moving for ten seconds. At a situation like this, those ten seconds would ensure death.

Illfang stalked toward Diavel, its slow steps echoing in the silent hall. The incident left all players speechless for a moment, and no one dared to attack the boss. Even Kirito was stunned. And Kayaba, who was so focused on the morbid scene, that he almost forgot about his own opponent until he heard it snarl and attacked. Switching his gaze to the Sentinel, he slammed his shield on the kobold's lupine face and finished it with a thrust to the neck.

When Kayaba returned his attention to Illfang, it was so close that he could hear its excited breath and see the individual hairs of its fur. Time seemed to slow down as, for one brief second, the monster's malevolent red eyes slid to Kayaba's direction and locked gaze with him.

Illfang grinned before charging toward a recovering Diavel.

Suddenly, Kayaba was overwhelmed with a memory, and he gripped his sword tightly as it replayed in his mind with vivid alacrity.

" _Promise me. Create… a world where no one… has to die…"_

And so Kayaba moved without thought, past Agil's group, overtaking Kirito as he too sprinted forward...

Illfang stood over Diavel, its nodachi shining almost delightedly in crimson as the monster brought it down upon the fallen leader and—

—Kayaba's shield and arm shook from the force of the blow, so powerful that he fell on one knee at the full weight of Illfang's weapon. The resulting ringing sound swept across the battlefield, and all who had witnessed what he had done gasped in shock.

Slowly, Kayaba rose to his knees as if the nodachi was heavier than a feather, and stared at Illfang's eyes with defiance.

Illfang threw back its head and bellowed in response.

"Diavel, take your party and run as far back as you can," said Kayaba. Then Illfang's bade struck again, and he had no time to talk.

 _Left, right, thrust. An upward swipe._ The attacks varied, but they were nothing new. Though Illfang was using a nodachi, it was not entirely a shocking change, for the tenth floor boss also used it, and with a greater repertoire of skills. Kayaba knew how and which way it would strike.

Thus, he fought the terrifying monster alone, using his sword as much as his shield to fend off the attacks. He dodged and evaded, using ingrained knowledge from the game's development phase to avoid the massive weapon. He could not afford to make a single miscalculation; once Illfang's strike hit his body, it would start a long chain of skill combos which were virtually unstoppable. Kayaba had to maintain his defense.

Feet planted firmly on the floor, Kayaba absorbed blow after blow. And each time it seemed Illfang's rage rose until its deafening roar filled the room. The nodachi rose high and bore down, locking with Kayaba's shield once more. For a minute, the Kobold Lord pushed its entire weight on Kayaba, intent on subduing him with sheer strength. But Kayaba resisted with all the might his strength stats could offer him. As they pushed against one another, Illfang lowered its head until its gaze were level with Kayaba, and snarled furiously.

Kayaba jabbed at the monster's left eye.

Illfang howled and staggered back. Capitulating on the opportunity, Kayaba rushed forward with his shield in front and pulled back his sword parallel to the ground. The blade glowed blue.

The four-hit longsword skill, Knight's Revenge, struck with impunity. A diagonal left slash followed by a right upward diagonal, forming a V-shape gashed across Illfang's armor and bringing his last HP bar down to 50%. As Kayaba's sword reached the crux of its swing, the skill assist system brought it down in a vertical cleave, where Kayaba used the moment to pivot around in a finishing circular cut.

The final blow did not fall on the target.

Kayaba stared up at the length of his weapon caught between the fingers of Illfang's right hand. Curling its upper lip in a fierce snarl, the monster raised the nodachi on its left. Kayaba blocked the first strike, but the second sent his shield arm snapping backward, exposing his torso. Steeling himself for the inevitable, Kayaba watched calmly as Illfang howled in triumph and drove its blade forward…

…only to be met by an equally savage roar and a black sword meeting the massive weapon in a shower of sparks.

Kirito shoved with all his might and the nodachi swung up, exposing Illfang's belly. He pressed his attack and unleashed a series of vicious slashes, driving the monster further and further into the middle of the room.

By then a chorus of yells joined Kirito, and the assault groups converged on the boss, hacking and slashing. Agil bellowed his war cry and swung his axe. Kibaou sliced at Illfang's legs before retreating as he switched with another of his party member. Even Nautilus joined the fray, his expression scared but his movement quick and precise.

However, Illfang would not be deterred. He leapt into the air and landed violently back on the floor, and the shockwave swept over everyone and threw them around like brittle leaves. Kirito jumped back just in time and retreated beside Kayaba.

"Are you alright?" he asked without taking his eyes off the boss.

"Nothing that a potion can't heal." Glancing at his status, Kayaba saw his HP was still in the green zone. "Any plans?"

Kirito pursed his lips. "The boss reacts to a large party surrounding it. We can't defeat it this way, especially with the nodachi. Its attack radius is too large." Lowering his voice so that no one save Kayaba could hear him, Kirito added, "But you already know that, right? You're a beta tester too."

Kayaba nodded without bothering to deny that claim. The boy must have deduced from watching his fight. "I've seen monsters with that weapon and skill sets on the floors above us," he said.

"So did I."

"Then I'll leave the offense to you. My sword's durability will not last long."

"Please let me help!"

They both turned their heads as Asuna rushed to them, rapier held at the ready. She slid on Kayaba's left. "Tell me what to do."

Staring at her in slight wonder for a moment, Kirito nodded. "We'll use the Sentinels' strategy. Heathcliff-san, you distract the boss. Asuna, we'll flank and hit it from both side."

"Understood."

"I'll go in first. Tell the others to get away," added Kayaba. "Illfang might go for them instead of us." Despite saying this, Kayaba noticed the monster's attention was still on him.

Kirito acknowledged with another nod. Raising his voice so it filled the room, he shouted, "Everyone, fall back! We'll take care of the boss!"

No one dared to argue. As the rush of many feet echoed on the floor, Kayaba adjusted his grip on his sword. "Ready?" Kirito and Asuna nodded.

Together, the three of them charged.

Illfang roared and raised the nodachi high. The floor shook with the monster's strides as it met them. Saliva dribbled from its lips, and its eyes were alit with a mad rage.

Halfway through, Asuna suddenly flung away her cloak with one hand, spilling her chestnut-brown hair in the air. Kayaba shouted, "Good luck, you two!", and put up a burst of speed to intercept the boss. Kirito and Asuna veered away from him and went in opposite directions.

Kayaba blocked Illfang's first strike with the shield, then stabbed at the Kobold Lord's belly. It snarled and brought down its sword for the second time; Kayaba sidestepped to avoid the swing and launched a Vertical Cut. He caught Illfang by the chin, cutting a red gash across its face. Without missing a second, Kayaba drove his sword straight at the monster's throat.

Roaring, Illfang pulled back and was about to perform a sword skill when a fast Linear struck the right side of its head. A powerful slash from the left followed, and Kirito switched positions with Asuna, hammering Illfang with a three-hit normal sword combo. The monster yowled as its HP dropped to 35%. When it turned its head to Kirito, Asuna jabbed at its left eye then pulled back as the attention switched to her.

A shield bash on the head brought its focus back to Kayaba. But before Illfang could retaliate, Kirito was on the assault again, executing slashes left and right.

The HP bar dwindled to 15%.

Illfang bellowed and slammed the nodachi at Asuna, hurling her a dozen yards away, shrieking. Kirito screamed her name, but he was forced to evade a downward swipe. Faster than the eye could see, Illfang dragged the nodachi across the floor and slashed horizontally.

The attack would have bisected the boy in half if not for the white shield that stopped it midway. Rooting his legs on the ground and pushing with all his strength against the weapon, Kayaba spoke to Kirito.

"Finish it."

And so Kirito jumped over Kayaba's head and onto Illfang, swinging his sword. The first attack staggered the monster, and it leaped into the air. As soon as Kirito's feet touched the ground, he launched himself up and roared. His sword shining a blinding blue, the swordsman struck Illfang on the head and carved out an angry blood red line all the way down to the monster's belly. With an ear-shattering howl, the First Floor Boss' body shimmered and turned blue before finally shattering into polygons.

Kirito landed back on the ground just as the victory sounded and the word "Congratulations!" appeared floating in large white letters in the middle of the room.

For one second, the room was engulfed in utter silence. Then like a dam bursting forth with overflowing water, the entire raid group broke to a loud triumphant cheer.

Kayaba looked around with a relieved expression. There was Nautilus being fussed over by a worried Yuna, potion in one hand. Agil surrounded by his party, showing the items they got. Conversations sprung up among the other groups, congratulating each other for a job well done. Even Diavel, who remained at the back out of shock from his near death, bowed his head and shed a lone tear of joy.

On the other side of the room, Kirito helped Asuna to her feet. The girl had suffered medium damage from Illfang's attack, but she looked fine otherwise, if a little shaken. Smiling, Kayaba approached the two.

"Are you two okay?" he asked. They turned to face him. Kirito nodded.

"Thank you," said the boy. "If not for your shield, I would have died already."

Kayaba shook his head. "Don't thank me. I just did my part as the tanker. It is I—us—who should be thanking you and Asuna." Here he glanced toward the girl, who shifted on her feet in embarrassment. "Without your help, we could not have defeated the boss." He looked back over one shoulder. The rest of the raid group was staring in their direction with evident gratitude.

Kirito looked away. "It's nothing. I just—"

"YEAH, IT WAS NOTHING!"

The rage-filled voice belonged to Kibaou. He marched forward seething with fury, a dark scowl on his lips. He pointed accusingly at Kirito. "You! I knew it the moment I saw you. You recognized the boss' weapon, didn't you? You knew what skill it was going to use!"

Behind him, murmurs swept over the crowd. Kayaba glanced at Kirito. The boy clutched his sword tightly, but made no move to explain himself.

No one spoke. "I'm right, am I?" continued Kibaou. "You are just a wolf hiding in sheep's clothing! You knew about the boss and yet you didn't warned us until Diavel was nearly killed! You went for the finishing blow to get the last attack bonus. And that's because you are a damn beta tester!"

The revelation was like a nuclear bomb being dropped into the room. The players' grateful expressions were now gone, replaced by shock, and in some cases, anger. The disappointment of being betrayed was evident in their eyes.

From the back, Diavel lifted his head and started pleadingly, "No, wait. Kirito is not—" But he was silenced by Kibaou's next words.

"So I'm going to say this now. If anyone else in here is a beta tester like this bastard here, show yourselves right now and give us the items you got!" Kibaou looked around wildly and spat. "People like you don't deserve to be in boss fights!"

The mood inside the room darkened. The players started casting suspicious glances amongst themselves, some even hateful. Several arguments broke out, turning former comrades against each other as the crowd was overwhelmed with suspicion. At the back, Kayaba saw Yuna and Nautilus looking at him with worry. He simply gave them a reassuring nod.

 _At this rate, everyone will lose trust with each other,_ thought Kayaba. It was an event that must not happen, and he was preparing to step forward to placate the restless crowd, when a laugh echoed in the room.

It was Kirito.

The boy approached Kibaou in steady strides, a mocking sneer marring his youthful face. His eyes gleamed as he sheathed his sword with a dramatic flourish. "Yes, I'm a beta tester. I've fought more powerful monsters above us who wields the same weapon. But please," he scoffed, "don't lump me with those _losers._ "

"Lo-losers?" Kibaou sputtered in disbelief.

Kirito grinned. "Yes, losers. Do you know why so many beta testers died? Because they didn't know how to play this game. Most of them are just a bunch of newbies who haven't even touched a game console, let alone play a VRMMORPG." He opened his menu and maneuvered it, ignoring Kibaou's incredulous expression. "But I'm not like them. I'm not a newbie, and I know more secrets than those you call beta testers!"

Kayaba immediately realized what Kirito intended, and he sighed in sympathy. _You're quite like me, aren't you?_

"You cheating bastard!" Kibaou roared and lunged at Kirito, only to be held back by his party. "Let me go! That guy is a cheater!" Soon, the others took up the name and murmured the word while fixing Kirito with murderous glares.

As if on cue, a dark blue leather coat materialized on the boy's shoulders, and he gave them a cold smile. "No, I'm no cheater nor a simple beta tester. I'm a beater! And I'm going to show you all how to beat this game!" With those final words, he spun on his heel and marched to the back of the room, where a door had opened to reveal a set of stone stairs.

Asuna rushed after him. Kayaba and the outraged raid group watched as they conversed in low tones. Then with one lazy wave of his hand, Kirito set foot on the first step and began to climb, the hem of his cloak swishing before it completely vanished from sight.

A window appeared to the right of Kayaba's vision, announcing that the party had been dissolved, but he ignored it. The room was engulfed in a deafening silence. A minute passed, and then the players started to move, exiting the boss room. They were going to resupply back in Tolbana to prepare for their exploration of the newly opened floor.

By the time the last raid member left, only three people were still standing inside the room. Asuna had already gone after thanking Kayaba. As the seconds dragged on, Yuna's and Nautilus' footsteps echoed as they approached Kayaba and stood on either side of him, gazing at the stairs leading to the second floor. For a moment, they were quiet. Then Yuna spoke in a whisper.

"Why did he do that?"

Without turning his head, Kayaba gave her a simple answer. "Someone needs to take all the blame. He did."

When they did not speak, Kayaba wordlessly turned and strode back toward the room's entrance just as the feminine voice of a system message made an announcement.

" _December 4, 2022, 1:33pm. The First Floor has been cleared."_

* * *

 **Surprise! XD**

 **Honestly, the lack of reviews for the second chapter bothered me a little. But I guess that's because this story is still new, and the fact that there was a huge gap between the first and second updates. Well, I'll just cotinue writing this until it gets popular.**

 **Now about this chapter. I'm sorry if this is a rehash, yet heavily tweaked version of the fight with Illfang. Considering the setting and the plot, I really have to go through this battle before I can progress. You might have already noticed a few setups that will be relevant in the future, especially Diavel surviving, so hopefully this part is not as boring as I thought it might be. Rest assured, though, the next chapter will start greatly diverging from canon.**

 **In other news, the anime adaptation of the Alicization arc has finished volume 9. I must say A-1 did a good job this time despite some important scenes being skipped. Really looking forward to the Ocean Turtle epsode next week. :D**

 **Speaking of the anime, I will be releasing regular updates of this story every third or fourth Sunday of the month. If I'm lucky, maybe even every two weeks. But that still depends on my tight schedule, so no promises.**

 **Anyway, please Read & Review! Until next time!**


	4. Seeds of Discord

Chapter 3: Seeds of Discord

With a mighty bellow the Trembling Ox charged, its footsteps shaking the ground. At two meters tall, the bull was the largest animal-type monster so far in the game, and its size was enough to intimidate most players. The thick muscles on its shoulders ensured a devastating charge attack, one that has long range and was almost impossible to dodge.

Fortunately, Kayaba's Iron Guardian shield had enough defense to withstand the blow. And as the monster slammed onto it with the force of a speeding truck, Kayaba held his ground even while his feet gouged the earth and he was slowly pushed back.

"Switch!" he shouted. An instant later, a long trail of blue light struck the Trembling Ox's right flank, followed by another shorter one on the left. The monster reared its massive head and bellowed in rage, then swiveled around to face the attacker on its right. Before it could perform another charging attack, Kayaba unleashed a Shield Bash skill and smashed the monster's thick brow.

Yuna and Nautilus retreated as the Ox staggered with a mourning keen. Cantering backward, it shook its head as if a fly buzzed around its eyes. The stagger effect was short, but Kayaba did not want to press their chances. Despite their skill level and equipment, the Trembling Ox was still a formidable foe. It was almost considered as a mini-boss in its own right, more so than the field boss, Bullbous Bow, that guarded the path to the north and the Tower Labyrinth.

Fanning out on either side, Yuna and Nautilus stood alert while Kayaba inched forward with his tower shield, keeping an eye on the bull's behavior. He had been tanking its attacks for the better part of five minutes now while his two companions did a hit-and-run tactics. It was working so far, but they never knew when it would switch targets. Nautilus did most of the damage, and the aggro should be on him by now.

Suddenly, the ox lowered its head and swiveled it side to side, switching gaze between Yuna and Nautilus. Taking another step forward, Kayaba used the Howl skill to gather the monster's aggro on him once more.

The monster blinked slowly at him, then stared at Yuna with big brown eyes.

"Please don't tell me it's looking at me," she said, face slightly pale. Despite her high evasion parameters, her build was not meant to tank damage from a Trembling Ox.

As if in response, the bull lowered its head until the curved white horns pointed in her direction, pawed the ground twice, and let out a loud bellow before launching to an unstoppable sprint.

With a yelp, Yuna hastily backed away in fright and rushed to Kayaba's side. Her agility allowed her to swiftly close the distance faster than the Trembling Ox, and she hid behind Kayaba while he positioned himself in front of the charging monster.

The Trembling Ox may be somewhat fast for its size, but it could not stop once it began its charge. It could only follow its first target, making it perfect for parties with a tanker to absorb the blow.

As such, the ox collided with Kayaba's shield for the second time, and the bone-rattling force created by its momentum sent a tremor through both man and beast. The effect, however, was greater on the monster. Smashing headlong into a tower shield sent a circle of twisting yellow stars floating above its head: a stun effect.

As soon as the ox stumbled, Yuna leapt from behind Kayaba and landed on the monster's hard back, plunging her bronze dagger onto its thick hide. It buckled wildly, snorting in fury, and attempted to throw Yuna off balance. With speed and reflexes reflecting her agility stats, the girl jumped away and landed nimbly next to Nautilus, who had just unleashed a Cross Slash on the monster's right flank.

Uttering a dying roar, the Trembling Ox finally shattered into blue polygons that drifted upward into the sky, leaving nothing behind but trampled grasses and the lingering pungent scent of a giant bovine.

"I still can't get used to that charge," said Yuna, shaking her head and sheathing her dagger.

"It's really just simple." Nautilus dismissed the window detailing the loot and EXP he had acquired with a casual flick of his free hand. "Once it lowers its head, you just run as fast as you can behind Heathcliff-san's shield. What you did just now was good."

Yuna smiled teasingly. "Yeah. Says someone who ran away the first time he saw the Trembling Ox."

"H-Hey! That's just because..."

While Nautilus stammered and failed horribly at explaining himself to an amused Yuna, Kayaba sheathed his sword and surveyed the savannah stretching around them for hundreds of meters.

December 12, 2022. Thirty-six days since Illfang the Kobold Lord was defeated and the second floor was finally opened. Unlike the first floor, which was a typical medieval setting and dominated mostly by wolf-type and plant-type mobs, this one's theme was cows, ragged craggy regions, a forest, and a savannah realm. A rocky mountain range separated the south from the northern half, where the Tower Labyrinth rose. Due to its size, Kayaba could see the upper portion of it beyond the mountain range.

Following his gaze, Yuna shaded her eyes with a hand and said, "I wonder if someone had already defeated the field boss."

"There's a chance someone did. The boss guarding the pass isn't too strong, and it can be killed with just one full party," answered Kayaba. Scanning the area again, he added, "It seems we have taken care of the monsters in here. It would take some time for them to respawn. Let's continue."

Nodding silently, Yuna and Nautilus trailed after Kayaba as he led them through the tall golden grasses of the south.

...

Between the mountains dividing the second floor in halves, there was a small jungled area from which all players must pass through to get on the other side, accessible by crossing a particularly dangerous ravine. It was but the start of a much larger savannah surrounding the south side of the last town, Taran. Lush vegetation impeded the way, and Storm Hornets often lay in ambush, ready to stab intruders to death. However, the real danger was the zone in the center where the field boss that guarded the pass north waited.

Picking their way through the dense foliage, Kayaba watched the almost nonexistent path ahead carefully. There was no warning when a player entered a field boss' area, and the only sign they did would be hearing the the boss' movements and challenging calls. Overhead, the low trees made a thick canopy of interlocking branches and leaves, enclosing them in an emerald roof that blocked most of the sunlight save for pockets of small gaps where it filtered through, and plunging the forest in semi-darkness.

It was a good thing that Kayaba knew the way. They veered eastwards, away from the northern side as much as possible. There was a nest where a small clump of Storm Hornets respawn with a high rate. Assuming that it was still there, the monsters would give them a good amount of EXP every ten minutes.

"You think those can be eaten?"

Kayaba briefly stopped in his tracks to see where Yuna was pointing. A few meters to the left, spread below a large elm tree's thick snaking roots, was a bed of mushrooms no larger than a fist-sized rock. They ranged in varying colors, from red to violet to green, and a variety of designs on their caps: striped, spotted, and in some cases, circled.

Shaking his head instantly, Kayaba continued ahead while saying, "They can. If you want to get poisoned or paralyzed."

"Oh."

"I didn't know you could forage for food in here," said Nautilus from behind them, guarding the rear.

"Every thing can be done here, Nautilus. Even mining for metals and ingots is possible. This floor is the first one where you could gather mushrooms and plant ingredients for potions and dishes. Of course, most of these are common mats, and the rarer ones are found on the floors above us."

Forging past the elm tree, it was several minutes before they finally arrived at their destinination. The nest was not particularly large, only thirty meters at its widest point, ringed by trees and clumps of rhododendron bushes. In the center was a massive oak fully encrusted in packed mud and dirt, oozing a scent strongly reminiscent of rotting meat.

"That's an awful smell." Yuna grimaced and covered her nose with the hem of her white cape. Next to her, Nautilus looked like he was trying his best not to spill the contents of his stomach. Of course, such thing did not exist in this world, and it was more of a reflex thn an actual urge to vomit.

"Just ignore it. Storm Hornets are larger than Windwasps, and they have less HP. Kill each one fast, then retreat back to the treeline once we've cleared them out. They'll all respawn in ten minutes."

It was high noon, so they still had time to grind for mats and EXP. Storm Hornets were not tough to beat, and their stingers bore a paralyzing effect unlike the Windwasps' poison needles. A solo player would have a hard time against a swarm, but a party of three should have no problem, especially with constantly switching.

They set out to work. Attacking the closest floating bulbous mass that was the insect, Nautilus took it down in two normal sword attacks, then moved on to his next target. Similar in shape to a real hornet, except ten times larger and blue instead of black, Storm Hornets were easy targets compared to the smaller Windwasps. And since they possessed less HP, taking them down was easier. Even a dagger user like Yuna could slay one on her own, and her speed allowed her to evade most attacks. The monsters were slower due to their sizes, a weakness that was easily exploitable.

After an hour of nonstop grinding, they decided to rest on the same elm tree they had passed earlier. While Kayaba leaned on the trunk and watched the area for any stray mobs, Yuna materialized their lunch for the day.

"Tremble Shortcake?" Kayaba raised an eyebrow upon seeing the floor's specialty dessert. It was an expensive treat, and players usually did not buy it due to its luxurious nature, not to mention the almost useless Luck buff; ten minutes was such a short time for it to be practical, and there were better dishes which gave a high defense and attack bonus for twice the duration.

"Yes. Asuna recommended it when I encountered her yesterday. She said it tasted good and we should try it, so I bought some this morning." Yuna handed one to Nautilus. "Here, Nau-kun. Why don't you try?"

"Ah, thanks." With a small smile of embarassment, Nautilus took a bite. His eyes immediately widened. "It's good!"

Kayaba stared at his own slice. It was soft and bright yellow, and when he speared a small portion into his mouth, it was sweeter than honey, and the texture was almost that of a sponge cake. There was the strong taste of the Trembling Cow's Milk that was used, as well as sugar grown from the farms surrounding Urbus.

Reproducing the taste of real world food was difficult, and it took the SAO development team nearly two years just to catalogue every fruits, vegetables, dairy products, fishes, meats, and even all kinds of bread and seasonings. The scent was even harder to capture, and there were times when it was impossible to recreate, especially those with a strong aroma. As such, they often combined what they had already, hoping it would produce the desired result. Most often than not, it did.

As he ate, he was reminded of a time when her sister celebrated her tenth birthday…

" _Hey, Onii-chan! Try this one." Ayako smiled, holding a small plate with a slice of carrot cake. Her expression was expectant, and Kayaba could only sigh as he lowered the book he was holding and accepted the plate from his sister's slim hands._

" _I baked it with Mama's help!" she said, eyes twinkling with pride._

 _Kayaba raised an eyebrow. "Did you now?" He popped a small bite into his mouth. He chewed for a moment, savoring the fluffy texture and balanced taste of fresh carrots and milk. And more than that, he sensed the effort that Ayako had placed. He nodded. "It's good. But shouldn't I be the one who should have given you a present? Don't worry. I'll buy you that tabletop RPG board game you've always wanted to—_

 _Shaking her head, Ayako smiled wider and clasped her hands behind her. "There's no need, Onii-chan. Consider eating the whole cake as your gift to me!"_

"Hey, what is that?" asked Yuna.

Suddenly snapped out of his reverie, Kayaba shook his head and followed Yuna's gaze. At a break in the trees several hundred yards away, a smudge of black silhouttes moved northward. The noises coming from them were faint to decipher, but he could hear the unmistakable sound of trampling boots and loud conversations.

"Nautilus."

"Yes." Immediately, the boy's eyes shone green—the sign of his Farsight skill activating. After a minute, he reported, "Seems like a small raid party. Their gear looks good, and they have several tanks."

"Are they going to challenge the field boss?" wondered Yuna, squinting hard into the distance. Since she did not have the Searching skill or any of its mods, she gave up a moment later.

"Possibly. It's been six days since we've reached this floor. Going for the Labyrinth should be the priority now." Kayaba thought for a moment. "Let's check out the fight. I want to see how they will do."

"Should we join them?" Nautilus finished his Tremble Cake and unsheathed his sword in preparation, as did Yuna.

"We'll know when we get there."

…

As it turned out, they did not have to help. The group was a 15-member party, more than enough to defeat the giant four horned oxen that was the Bullbous Bow. The field boss pawed the ground of its basin lair, snorting in irritation. Sheer steep cliffs rose on either side of the two-hundred feet wide zone, enclosing the area into a narrow passage. There was no way around it and the boss except for the path ahead.

Standing at the edge of the basin, Kayaba watched the battle intently. Two parties went forward to engage, with three at the back as reserves. However, there was something odd about the group's strategy. One party should be pulling aggro while the other waited to switch in to deal damage, as displayed during the first floor boss fight. But here, two groups of tanks rushed in to flank the boss on either side, raised their swords high, and roared so loud it sent tree branches swaying.

Even Nautilus was perplexed by what he had witnessed. "Why are they both pulling aggro?"

Indeed, the two assault parties seemed to be competing against each other. The Bullbous Bow swiveled its huge head left and right, deciding which group it should attack first. As it did so, Kayaba noticed the equipment they were wearing. Some of them were high-leveled gears like the trio in reserve. But of the two forward teams, one had green tunics under their armors while the other wore blue ones.

 _Visual aid to recognize the assault group from the tankers?_ No, that could not be right. The two teams were both equipped to take a boss alone, and they were acting too independently of each other. In fact, when the Bullbous Bow finally turned to face the green team, the blue one retreated in dismay and allowed the other group to fight the monster alone.

As the battle progressed, Kayaba noticed that the raid party had no appointed leader. Instead, each group was led by its own party leader and seemed to be ignoring each other. A gnawing suspicion began to form in Kayaba's mind, and it was further strengthened when the majority of the green team was knocked off their feet by the Bullbous Bow's deadly charge and the blue one rushed in to aggro without even helping the others.

Yuna was the first one to quickly voiced out her observations. "It's almost as if they are each acting by themselves."

Pursing his lips, Kayaba nodded. "They are competing with each other. Notice how each group is overlapping each other's Howls?" Even while he said this, the green team soon recovered and regrouped by the edge of the basin. During their retreat, the face of their leader—or more precisely, his recognizable hairstyle—came into clear view.

"Hey, isn't that the guy who hates beta testers?" Nautilus pointed. Indeed, it was none other than Kibaou, the player who started the descrimination against Kirito and his fellow beta testers. During their time in the city of Urbus, Kayaba often saw him actively seeking like-minded and strong players. Kayaba was careful enough to avoid crossing paths with the man; he did not want any complications in case Kibaou accused him of being a beta tester too.

Yuna frowned slightly. "Kibaou, right? Then who's leading the other team?" A flash of blue hair made her gasp. "Wait. Don't tell me that's—"

Kayaba shook his head. "No, not Diavel." He stepped closer to the treeline to get a clearer view. "That's Lind, his second from the first floor boss battle."

Ever since that nearly disastrous fight, the charismatic and brave knight, Diavel, vanished from the front lines and was never heard of again. Many theorized that he had committed suicide, but the theory was immediately debunked later after people saw his name was still active in the Monument of Life back in the Black Iron Palace.

If Kayaba had to guess, Diavel was ashamed of himself for hiding his identity as a beta tester, which almost cost the lives of his raid party. Combined with the current stigma against them and his own failure, it was no surprise that Diavel lost the resolve to fight and join the rest of those waiting in the first floor.

With his absence, Lind must have stepped into spot role Diavel left vacant. And in fact, the man had already embraced the role: a knight's sword and shield, haired that was once brown but was now blue, and voice brimming with charisma. As he barked orders to his party mates, it was not difficult to envision him as Diavel himself. The only difference was his height—taller than Diavel by a few inches—and his face: he looked sterner, and there was a strange light in his eyes, a different kind of fervor and zealousness.

The boss fight soon reached its final stage when the last of the Bullbous Bow's HP bar dropped to the red zone, prompting it to execute a devastating charge that plowed through Lind's group with impunity. Yuna cried in horror, and Nautilus drew his sword in preparation to rush in. But there was no need, for at that moment, the reserved engaged the boss while the blue team healed themselves.

Off to the side, Kibaou's group had finshed recovering their strength just then and converged on the boss as well. The bttlle was over in a minute, and with one last roar, the Bullbos Bow finally shattered into blue polygons.

Kayaba half-expected a full cheer by the entire raid team. Instead, only Lind's team gave shouts of victory. As they took stock of their looted items and acquired EXP, Kayaba saw Kibaou marching up to the blue team leader, seething with rage.

"THAT WAS NOT PART OF OUR AGREEMENT!"

The man's voice carried far and reached the spot where Kayaba and his party stood, so loud that Nautilus glanced around warily. Certain monsters were drawn by sounds, and carelessnes often lead to death when a player was caught off guard by a horde. With Kibaou's voice, it would not be a surprise if mobs from a two hundred yards away heard him.

Lind intercepted Kibaou in the center of the clearing while their companions lined up behind their leader's back, glaring at each other. The three in reserve whose faces Kayaba did not recognized had long since left.

The leaders had a brief stare down contest. Lind's mouth move, but Kayaba was too far to hear him. However, Kibaou's tone remained loud and furious, and Kayaba gleaned much from him.

"Our agreement was the group that is currently attacking the field boss gets the last attack bonus! That's why we decided to take turns! Why did you guys charge in when the reserve was already there?!"

"Shouldn't he be glad that the blue team saved them?" whispered Yuna.

Kayaba said, "Apparently, Kibaou is more concerned with the last attack bonus drop."

Lind said something with a calm expression, and Kibaou's face contorted with rage. "What do you mean we're having a hard time? You were the one whose team's life dropped into the red zone, remember? Stop making excuses just because you guys want to get the better of us. Damn beta testers!"

Kibaou spat on the ground—a useless action considering there was no bodily fluids in the game—and stomped back to his team mates. With one last look of hatred toward Lind's group, they left the basin.

Kayaba's eyes briefly followed Kibaou before sliding over to Lind's group. He did not expect such a division at this stage, though it was inevitable. Players would start forming groups and factions by this point, and when they finished a questline on the third floor, guilds would be popping out like mushrooms. Naturally, people who knew each other well would stick together, while those who were strangers would be left behind or form their own guilds.

But unlike most MMOs, a divided playerbase would lead to chaos in SAO. Each one would have to take sides, and though everyone's primary goal was to clear and escape the game, that did not mean they would set aside their own agenda. This was still a game, after all.

"Let's go," said Kayaba, turning away from the clearing. Yuna and Nautilus started folowing him. But as they were about to leave, a voice called out behind them.

"Hey!"

Glancing back, Kayaba saw Lind approaching them with confident strides, a warm smile on his lips. His party members were still sharing their loots with each other, occassionally glancing in the direction of their leader. They were in no hurry yet to proceed along the northern sector of the floor.

"You guys were those in the reserve group last week during the first floor boss fight, right?" said Lind when he stopped a dozen feet away.

"Yes. That's us," answered Kayaba. "How may we help you?"

Lind's smile widened a little. "I saw how you fought Illfang and I was wondering if you'd like to join my team? We'll be forming our guild once we reach the next floor, and we could sorely use your team's help."

Kayaba raised a thin silver eyebrow and exchanged glances with Yuna and Nautilus. Judging by their expressions, they were just as curious as he was. "Why us?" inquired Kayaba. "There were others back then who stood out and did more than we." He wanted to know Lind's motives, and whether or not accepting his offer would be wise. He could not commit Yuna and Nautilus to a guild who might just exploit them.

Lind shrugged. "You guys were the only people who kept their cool when the boss' attack patterns changed. That kind of clear thinking could help my group clear the game. Besides, we are short on tankers and burst DPS right now. We could use your help a lot." His eyes darted around for a few seconds. "Say, where are that boy with the black hair and that other girl using a rapier?"

"Kirito and Asuna? We never saw them since the first floor boss. Why are you asking?" Kayaba felt Yuna's gaze on him. Technically, he had not lied. He never encountered the two again after Illfang's defeat, except for Yuna who had bumped into Asuna back in Urbus yesterday.

Lind frowned. "Aren't they part of your group?"

"No. We've just partied temporarily during that time."

"I see. Well, I was hoping to recruit them too."

"Why? I thought people hate Kirito for being a beta tester?"

Lind laughed. "What? You think everybody does? I'm not like those idiots who think that we cannot win this game without the help of others, especially beta testers. If someone can help, I'll ask that person's help, pride be damned. Besides," he added in a softer voice, "strong players should stick together. After all, it's our duty to beat this game."

There was something about the way Lind spoke that unsettled Kayaba. Perhaps it was the fact that he viewed himself as strong, as if the others were not. Unlike Diavel who took everyone in his raid group regardless of level and skills, Lind was quite the opposite; he would only accept those he saw as equal.

Lind continued, "In any case, have you thought about my offer? You guys don't have to worry about the loot distribution. What you get during raids and boss fights are all yours. What do you say?"

It was indeed tempting; if Kayaba accepted and join Lind, Yuna and Nautilus' safety would be guaranteed. They would grow stronger in a guild, and he would not have to worry much about protecting them, knowing that there were others who would take care of them.

However…

"I'm afraid we have to decline," Kayaba finally answered. "We are not yet ready to commit ourselves to any guilds. I'm sorry."

"Oh. That's too bad." Lind spread his hands. "Well, what else can I do? It's your decision. But in case you change your mind, just send me a message. And if you see Kirito and that girl, Asuna, tell them I'm looking for them."

Giving him a short nod, Kayaba turned away without a word and left.

* * *

It was nearly late afternoon when they returned to Urbus. As the sky glowed orange with the fast approaching sunset, the city itself shone with a warm light cast by the oil lamps in the streets and inside houses. Along the cobbled paths that lined the road, players strolled, either off to an evening hunt or just returning from a long day of grinding. Some were already heading to inns and restaurants, readying themselves for a good night's rest. Others were eager to enjoy the money they had earned from slaying monsters.

Kayaba led Yuna and Nautilus to a particularly large restaurant on the south-west sector, called the Laughing Ox. An NPC-ran establshment, it was one of the few shops offering a wide variety of dishes unique to the floor. Some even had buffs that would last for a day, so the restaurant was often visited by a lot of players preparing to hunt. In fact, it was already half full when Kayaba entered, and the cacophony of conversations drowned out anything else.

Loudest among them was Kibaou's rowdy group.

They sat around one of the tables in the middle, almost shouting as they argued amongst themselves. It was obvious what they were discussing, for the word "beta testers" popped up many times. Kibaou was scowling, and a lot of his sentences ended with his fist banging on the table's polished oak surface so hard that the immortal object warning appeared.

"That's why I told you guys not to trust them!" he bellowed, which silenced his companions and made the other customers glanced in his direction in annoyance. Some of those near the table even stood up grumbling and left without finishing their food. As they passed, Yuna whispered to Kayaba, "I think we should find another place to eat. We won't get any peace of mind here."

"I agree," muttered Nautilus, eyeing Kibaou warily. "I don't want to eat anywhere near that guy."

Kayaba nodded. He did not want to be in the same room with Kibaou as well, much less eat with him nearby.

"Hey, I know you!"

Too late. While Yuna and Nautilus groaned in unison, Kayaba faced Kibaou out of courtesy. The man grinned from his seat and beckoned to him. The rest of his team watched silently with curious stares. No doubt, they recognized Kayaba as the sword and shield user that managed to hold off Illfang for a minute all by himself.

Kayaba glanced sideways at Yuna. The girl stared back at him with apprehension and shook her head slightly, moving it side to side by less than an inch. Kayaba hesitated for a brief moment, then murmured, "Find us a table. As far away as possible. This won't be long."

Yuna looked at him as if he had grown a second head, then reluctantly nodded and went to the left. Nautilus followed her after sending Kayaba a worried glance. As they headed for a table in the corner, Kayaba strode toward Kibaou.

Truth be told, he had no plans to entertain the man. However, Kibaou was an easily offended person. If Kayaba ignored his invitation, he would look disrespectful, and that might earn him and his companions the irk of one of the most active frontliner. He did not want that to happen, especially if they were going to join future floor boss battles.

"It's been a week, right?" Kibaou said once Kayaba stood in front of the table. "You're that guy who saved that Diavel from being killed."

Kayaba nodded. "I am. And you're Kibaou, the one from the boss meeting."

"Yup. That's me. And you would do well to remember my name." He gestured to a seat taken already by one of his friends. "Here, have a seat. Hey, Ruko! Give this guy your seat."

"Why should I?" asked Ruko, glaring at Kibaou from behind his teal bangs. He immediately quailed when Kibaou returned the glare tenfold.

"Because I say so!" Kibaou snapped. "Now shut up and do as I say or else I'll kick your useless ass out of—"

"Please, you and your friend doesn't need to bother," interrupted Kayaba. He nodded at Ruko, who sighed with relief. "I'll be fine just standing here."

Kibaou frowned slightly. "Are you sure? Well, whatever suits you." He leaned forward on the table, grinning once more. "Do you know why I want to talk with you?"

"You want me on your team," surmised Kayaba. It was not hard to discern Kibaou's motives based on Lind's actions earlier; if the latter wanted to recruit Kayaba, so would the former.

"You're smart. I like that. So what do you say?"

Choosing his next words carefully, Kayaba said, "What if I'm a beta tester?" He watched Kibaou's face closely, noting his reaction.

The man waved a hand. "You don't have to lie if you don't want to accept my offer. I can tell you are not one of them. If you are, then you would have tried to get the last attack bonus like that beater. Besides," he added with a derisive snort, "what are the chances of two selfish beta testers in the same boss fight?"

 _Three, actually. And one of them is more than just a beta tester._ "And if I do accept?"

Kibaou smirked. "Then we can become the strongest guild much faster, and we'll be able to clear this game without the help of weaklings and cheaters. I will take us to the top floor, beat the hell out of that stupid developer, and free everyone else in here."

Kayaba ignored the unknowing insult and challenge at him, but the rest of what Kibaou said already cemented his decision to refuse. Pretending to think for a moment, Kayaba answered, "May I speak with my party about this? I don't want to commit onto something without consulting them first."

"Of course. And don't worry about them. If you accept, I'll be more than glad to have them too." Kibaou stood, and so did his party one by one. "Tell me immediately once you've decided. Just make sure your decision is the right one." With that subtle threat hanging in the air, Kibaou and his group strode away to the restaurant's exit.

Kayaba waited until the last of them was out of the door, then he went over to Yuna and Nautilus just as the NPC server arrived bringing their food.

"He asked to join your team," said Yuna as soon as Kayaba had sat down.

"You heard our conversation?"

"With that guy's loud voice, most of us here obviously did. You refused him too?"

"I don't see any reason why we should accept. But I told him we'll send a message once we've decided." Kayaba took a bite from his roast beef.

"The thing is, he don't know when we will decide," said Nautilus. "It's really weird though. That's already two groups who tried to recruit us. It's only been little more than a month since we were trapped here. And now people are starting to form groups."

Kayaba nodded. "That is to be expected, Nautilus. In game where life and death matters, forming groups with people you trust increases the survival rate. You could help each other grow stronger, defeat powerful opponents together, and ensure that no one would die. SAO may be a death game, but it is still an MMORPG, and that is already natural. And just like forming groups is natural, so is the fact that not all of them are exactly honest."

"What do you mean?" asked Yuna with a frown.

Kayaba paused to eat a few mouthfuls before resuming. "Let me ask you a question, Yuna. Why did you initially wanted to play SAO?"

Yuna blinked. "Because this is the first VRMMORPG where anyone can do everything." Her eyes slid briefly to Nautilus. "And also because I want to play together with Nau-kun."

At that, Nautilus swallowed hard and he looked away in embarassment.

"Correct. You want to socialize," said Kayaba. "That is one of an MMO game's main selling points. The freedom to interact with other people even though they are miles away. In SAO's case, as a VR game, interactions are more prevalent and your social experience are further enhanced. But that's not always the case for all players. There are those who view games as another reality, another world to live in. And their attitudes in real life are often carried over. They just do not want to socialize.

"Let's take one of the rising groups in the game as an example: the Watchers. You've already seen them back in the Town of Beginnings and the outlying towns and villages."

"Those are the guys that patrol the streets to prevent Pking and stealing, right?" said Yuna.

"That's them," answered Kayaba with a nod. "Although their patrol range extends all the way to the field zones since the cities and towns prevents any sort of player harm. But that's not all they do. They also take requests to save any players who have been trapped in dungeons without health supplies. In essence, they are this world's unofficial police force despite the crime prevention code capable of doing most of their job.

"Their leader, Covatz, is said to be an army officer in real life, whch I think is true to some degree. They are organized by rank, with him as Commander, and their equipment are standardized. However, there are some rumors floating around that they are collecting taxes from the other players, and threatens them if they refuse."

"That's not fair!" protested Yuna. "We're all trying to survive here. If they start collecting taxes, they are basically robbing players of their hard earned money. Money they are using to upgrade their weapons and armor!"

"Yuna, in this world where laws do not apply, calling their actions unfair is unjustifiable."

"But—"

Kayaba raised a hand to interrupt her. "But you are right. It is indeed unfair and wrong. I heard it was one of the main reasons why Diavel pushed for the first floor boss raid. He wanted the players to progress so they could escape the Watchers.

"On the other hand, Kibaou's and Lind's groups are different. While they are more friendly, and Lind doesn't hate beta testers, they still have their own unsavory motives. Kibaou wanted to be the leader of the strongest guild in the game while leaving out players he deem useless. Lind is more or less the same, even though he is more open-minded. But as we've seen earlier, he is also an opportunist and doesn't care about people outside his group. Such mindsets create division in this game, and that kind of division will be our main hurdle in reaching the top floor."

"How about the other players?" asked Nautilus. "Surely, they should be forming their own guilds by now, unofficial they may be."

Kayaba shook his head. "The three I've just mentioned are the ones in the lead right now. All the rest are either too small or doesn't have enough drive to fight in the frontlines. However, I think that given enough time, these smaller groups could also take the lead. It happens a lot in most MMOs."

"You seem to know a lot about games," noted Nautilus. "I thought you said once that you don't play at all."

Kayaba smiled faintly. "I don't. But I did my research. Besides, you forgot that I also played in the beta. And during that one month, I learned a lot about how players think. Because of that, I knew that accepting offers from Lind and Kibaou is unwise. They would just exploit us and our strength. Not to mention, my identity will be at risk."

Silenced reigned for several minutes as they ate. Truth be told, Kayaba had no intention of joining or forming a guild any time sooner. It was still too early at this stage, and he did not know how everything would play out in the coming months. However, he had this feeling that if this continued, conflicts would eventually arise; he had already seen the seed of discord between Lind and Kibaou, and now that the beta testers were included in the mix, that seed would bloom into a dark tree.

It was human nature to hate and compete, both in game and in real life. Turning a harmless game into one of life and death further emphasized that nature. Players would do everything to survive, and just like the real world, a harsh reality would eventually change them on the inside. Soon, he had no doubt that many would give in to despair, turning into stealing and harassing other players.

Even murder.

It was a terrifying notion, one that he never talked about with Yuna and Nautilus. They were still too young to be tainted by such a scary thought. And yet the more they stayed trapped in here, the more likely it would occur. Humans were susceptible to violence, and from the data gathered by Yui during the beta test, some of the players were suffering from an unstable mental health. Kayaba just hoped that those players were not in this game, or if they were, that the fear of death would force them to lock themselves inside their rooms.

Soon they were almost finished with their meal. As Kayaba sipped from a glass of Trembling Milk Shake, he noticed Yuna staring at him. "What is it, Yuna?"

She was silent for a moment, her lips pressed in a thin line. Next to her, Nautilus watched in concern, but remained quiet. When Yuna finally spoke, her tone was measured and her words slow.

"I was just wondering. We are a party at the moment, right?"

"Yes. What of it?"

"Well… I've talked about this with Nau-kun a few days ago. What if we form our own guild?"

Kayaba arced an eyebrow. He had briefly considered that before, and there was no doubt that Yuna and Nautilus would accept his invitation. They had fought together in this game for more than a month now, and Kayaba knew that despite his sin of creating Cardinal and this death game, they trusted him with their lives. However…

Placing the glass down on the table, Kayaba lowered his gaze for a moment. He had his misgivings about forming a guild, not the least of which was the attention he would attract. His innate knowledge of the game was vital to everyone's survival, yes, but it was also the major clue as to who he really was. If he started participating in many boss fights with that knowledge, many would suspect. And before long, everyone in the game would be hunting him after they found out he was the one responsible for their imprisonment. It was not too difficult to think that once they do, they would go for Yuna and Nautilus as well, especially if the two tried to protect him.

"I can't say that idea has not crossed my mind, Yuna," Kayaba answered softly. "But right now, my priority is ensuring your and Nautilus' survival and growth. Perhaps once we are strong enough, then we'll create a guild." He hesitated momentarily. In an even quieter voice, he added, "Besides, I don't want to make a move until I'm certain we're safe from being watched."

"Watched?" asked Yuna, perplexed. "By whom?"

Kayaba did not respond. Instead, he looked out the window toward the sky, where white clouds drifted by lazily on a blue canvas.

Somewhere out there, he had a feeling that Cardinal was watching.

* * *

 **This is quite short compared to the previous chapters, and I'm deeply sorry for that. It is actually more of a setup to certain plot threads in the future, hence why it may seem like a filler. In any case, the next update—which I hope to finish before Christmas—will focus on the adventures in Floor 3. If you've beenreading the Progressive noves, you should already have an idea what to expect. BUT, considering that I will diverge from canon, I assure you that it won't be like anything you've read in the source material.**

 **Fun trivia: the title of this chapter is a direct nod to that quest from Sword Art Online: Integral Factor. :)**

 **On another slightly unrelated topic, I'm terribly not satisfied with the latest Alicization episode. XD Hopefully, they fix the next one with better pacing and finally introduce our most awaited Spider-chan. :3**

 **Please Read & Review! Until next time!**


	5. The Knight of Lyusula

Chapter 4: The Knight of Lyusula

The torches burned bright on the walls, casting shadows that danced like mischievous imps and illuminating the dim path ahead. There was a breeze blowing from beyond, cool but not unpleasant, and with it the faint refreshing scent of pine leaves that reminded Kayaba of a forest park he and his family once visited a lifetime ago.

December 15, 2022. The third floor was finally opened after a difficult battle, but Kayaba knew it would only get worse; the higher they climbed, the stronger the monsters would be. And not just monsters, but the environment itself as well. In fact, there were already signs of it here on the stairs that led to the floor.

"How many more steps do we still have to go?" Nautilus groaned from behind. Ever since Asterios had been defeated, they had been climbing up for almost fifteen minutes. The corridor steadily rose to a steep incline then curved to the left, and though avatars did not have to breathe, a hidden fatigue parameter would make the players feel tired every time they did strenuous work, like fighting or running.

Kayaba answered, "158 steps, and lesser with each one we take. We should be there in five minutes." He glanced back over his shoulders and noted the incredulous expression on the boy's face. "Please bear with it a little longer. Unlike the second floor, the stairs here wound around Aincrad's outer wall since we had to enter from the very edge of the map."

"Why did you have to create it that way?" Nautilus said in slight exasperation. Next to him, Yuna shot him a look and elbowed him in the ribs.

"Hey. That's not polite," she whispered, though the confined space still allowed Kayaba to hear it. Guilty, Nautilus lowered his head and mumbled an apology.

Kayaba waved a hand in a dismissive gesture, then returned his gaze to the front. "Don't apologize. If you want, we can take a rest."

"There's no need! I can still go further!" said Nautilus quickly. In an attempt to change the subject, he asked, "So what are these murals on the walls? I saw something similar to them back at the door at the base of these stairs, and on the corridor that led to the second floor before that."

"I think it hints about the floor's theme," said Yuna. "Remember how we saw a great field with a large cow at the end?"

"Oh, right! I remember now!"

Kayaba nodded without even looking at the walls on either side. "Yuna is correct. Each corridor connecting two floors contain hints about the next floor's environment and even enemies. In this case, it's a forest."

The murals ran all the way to the end of the stairway, vibrant and almost alive. On both sides, a lush green forest swept, its leaves a deeper shade of emerald. The branches stretched to the top of the wall, with the leaves making up the ceiling. To the left, crimson-furred swines—Lava Boars—scampered among the dense foliage while tall, humanoid trees strode imperiously alongside them. To the right, giant spiders dangled from the branches on silky silver webs, taunting a mass of shifting plant-type monsters below them.

"Creepy," muttered Yuna. "How big are these spiders?"

"A meter tall," answered Kayaba. "They move fast, too, and attack in numbers. But they are relatively weak compared to others of their kind on the higher floors. It's the Treants we should be worrying about."

"Treants, huh?" Yuna brushed a hand against one part of the wall where the humanoid trees chased a swarm of Lava Boars. They were tall and willowy, with barks ranging from dappled green to dark brown, and eyes which gleamed red with evil intent.

"It's kinda sad we have to fight monsters like them." She turned to Nautilus. "Remember that fantasy movie trilogy we watched back at my house last year?"

"Yeah, the ones that were more than two decades old. What were the talking trees called in there again?" Nautilus paused for a moment, then snapped his fingers with a loud crack that echoed inside the corridor. "Ents!"

"Different name, same creatures," supplied Kayaba.

"That reminds me. We are going to fight elves here too, right? I recognized those two swordsmen carved on the door behind Asterios' throne."

Kayaba stopped in his tracks. They had finally reached the top, and the doors were open to a vast forest with trees reaching like pillars high in the sky. The forest canopy was a roof of interlocking leaves and branches, encasing them in an emerald ceiling. Sunbeams filtered through between gaps, bathing the ground in bright green and yellow.

"Wow!" Yuna stepped outside in a trance, her eyes wide with amazement. Nautilus followed her, mouth agape. For several minutes they simply stood there, taking in the majestic sight.

Silent as a shadow, Kayaba crept until he stood beside them, craning his head upward. The trees were hundreds of feet tall and at least ten meters wide, their barks a dark shade of red. "This floor was partially modeled after the Sequoia National Park in the US. Of course, the trees were not as big as these. My team spent a week in California trying to capture every image they could get. It's why you will find that no tree looks exactly the same as another."

"It's amazing," said Yuna. She walked up to the nearest trunk twenty feet across and placed a hand on the rough bark, glancing upward with a faint smile. She looked so calm and at ease that it sent a pang of loneliness deep within Kayaba's chest, and he turned his gaze away to a dirt path cutting between two trees.

"Come. There is a quest that I'd like to activate first before we restock at Zumfut. How are our supplies, Nautilus?"

Nautilus checked his inventory at once. "We still have some HP potions and a couple of antidotes."

"That should be enough. Stay together. Beyond this area, the forest will be gradually covered in mist. Do not chase a monster once we get on the road. You will get lost quickly. Not even the map can help you."

They started for the dirt path. It branched left and right in a Y-shaped intersection. The right one led to Zumfut, the floor's main city. Kayaba took the left, his weapon ready. Soon, a blanket of thick fog slowly crawled over the area, and the visibility dropped to near zero. He could only see for several yards in all directions. There was a slight chill in the air, and before long, moisture clung to the tips of his hair and eyebrows.

"Stay close, you two," he said to Yuna and Nautilus. They both had their weapons drawn, eyeing the fog with wary eyes. "This fog is used by monsters to ambushed their prey. Nautilus, keep your Searching skill activated at all times. The fog will reduce its efficiency, but your skill should be high enough that you'll be able to see a mob from three meters away."

"Understood."

"What kind of quest are we going to tackle?" asked Yuna, her boots crunching against a small pebble. The dirt path had turned rocky, and the trees grew closer together than before, creating a natural tunnel. It was suddenly dim and cold. She shivered slightly and scooted nearer to Nautilus.

"Remember what Nautilus asked me about fighting elves? That's the campaign we're going to activate."

"Campaign?"

Kayaba nodded while he scanned the path, looking for the rock that was the landmark for the quest. "The Elf War campaign. It is a quest chain that starts here and ends on the ninth floor; the first campaign you'll encounter."

"That long?" said Yuna, shocked. Even Nautilus was stunned at the length.

"Yes. A campaign with more than seventy chapters and lots of rewards. You'll have to choose between two warring factions: the Forest Elves and the Dark Elves. Choosing one will forever lock the other, but the advantages and disadvantages remain the same for both, so either one is fine. However, we have to be careful. This floor is the real start of SAO."

"Why is that?"

"Because compared to the demi-humans like the Kobolds and Tauruses that uses basic sword skills on the first two floors below, human-type monsters will begin appearing from here onward. Their attack patterns are more complex, and their sword skills stronger. You'll see once we activate the Elf War quest."

They traversed the road for several minutes, stopping once to consult the map. It was difficult to gauge how far they still had to go; the fog had become thicker, and the area was plunged in semi-darkness, like one would experience when dusk arrived. They moved cautiously, often calling each other's names to determine their positions.

Along the way, they were almost caught off guard by a wandering Treant Sapling if not for Nautilus' high Searching skill. After quickly dispatching the monster tree, they proceeded even more slowly.

Finally after a long search, Kayaba's foot struck something on the ground with a dull thud. Glancing down, he saw an outcropping of rock two feet long and jutting out at an angle to the left. He stopped and raised a hand, then looked to his left. There was a break in the trees partially obscured by a thin layer of mist. Beyond that, he caught a glimpse of a bright purple flash then a green one.

"We're here," he announced. They stepped out of the road and into the trees, plunging deeper into the forest. After a few minutes, they heard the unmistakable clang of steel hitting steel and the hum of sword skills being unleashed. But there was another sound… no, two of them. A chorus of fierce shouts whose voices were familiar and not unexpected.

"A party seems to have already activated the quest," Nautilus noted. Kayaba nodded.

"Don't worry. It restarts every thirty minutes. Since we're here, though, we might as well see how they are doing."

When they emerged into a wide clearing ringed by ancient trees of red and gray, they found quite a sight. Two humanoid creatures, one in a cloak the color of fresh leaves at the height of spring and the other in a deep shade of amethyst, were dueling in the center with the grace of a swan and the speed and reflexes of a striking snake. Both were garbed in bright silver armor, wielding a longsword and saber, respectively. Their faces were hidden with hoods, but one was obviously a woman, for her armor accentuated her lithe figure. And even as they watched, a swipe at her head caught the edge of her hood, flipping it away and spilling her short purple hair, as well as revealing her angled tanned face and pointed ears .

"She's a girl!" exclaimed Nautilus. He was so engrossed by the revelation that it took him a full minute to realize who was the party that triggered the quest.

A black sword weaving through the air with extreme precision accompanied by a silver rapier streaking like a fast comet. Their vicious assault helped the purple-haired elf drove back her opponent, and soon the other was forced to retreat a dozen feet away. The trio fanned in a loose triangle, cutting off any chance of escape.

"Should we help them?" said Yuna. The last time they had seen Kirito and Asuna was two days ago during the strategy meeting for the raid against Asterios.

Nautilus looked uncertain. "I don't know. They are stronger than us, so I doubt they need our help. Besides, isn't this only available to the party that tripped the quest flag? We can't do much if that's the case. Right, Heathcliff-san?"

Kayaba hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Yes," he muttered, his gaze never leaving the fight, especially the dark elf. Why was the dark elf still alive? The quest storyline involved her dying by sacrificing herself to defeat the forest elf. Even if Kirito and Asuna had somehow altered the chain of events when they chose to help the dark elf, the general story progression should still remain the same.

His frown deepening, Kayaba took another step forward. As he did so, his boots crunched on a dry twig, and the resulting crack echoed in the clearing. Startled, all combatants looked toward Kayaba's direction with surprise, and in the dark elf's case, irritation. Her narrowed eyes bore into him, and for once in his life, Kayaba was at a loss for words. She should be just a mere NPC, but the emotion she had displayed just now was very much human.

And then on the other side, the forest elf spoke.

" _Mela zurar, liari!_ " he cried in a great voice filled with hostility. " _Ci la io zu selar!_ "

Yuna's and Nautilus' jaws nearly dropped to the mossy ground, and there was an audible gasp from both Kirito and Asuna. Kayaba gripped his sword tightly and stared with wide eyes at the forest elf. They did not create any form of fictional language for this game!

A dozen possibilities flashed across his mind, but they were either too absurd to consider or too frightening that Kayaba hoped he was wrong. A talking NPC was not unusual; it was the fact that it spoke in another language that was terrifying. And not just any language, but something which only probably existed inside the game.

As he kept staring at the elves, the others remained frozen in their spots. It was the opportunity the forest elf had been waiting for. With a vicious war cry he lunged for his dark elf opponent, his longsword shining with a green sheen. Kayaba moved immediately, shield raised to block the attack. But he was slow and the distance was great. He would not make it in time.

The attack jolted Kirito and Asuna into action, and they tried to intercept the forest elf. He evaded Asuna's thrusts, then ducked under a swing from Kirito before covering ten feet of distance in a single leap. High he flew into the air, his sword leaving a vicious trail of emerald as he brought it down in a mighty swing. The dark elf yelled and jumped back just as her enemy landed to the spot she had been standing a second ago. Her saber glowed red, but the forest elf was swift. In one fluid motion, he darted past her guard and swung in a diagonal arc.

The dark elf gave a pained cry. There was a rent in front of her armor—a red gash much like a player could inflict on any regular mob—and something spilled out as she stumbled back. Touching her chest gingerly, she looked up in distress and shouted, " _Ela le zurar!_ "

The forest elf picked up a small pouch from the ground, then lowered his hood to reveal a handsome face marred only by a diabolic grin. " _Io!_ " He raised his sword high in the air, and the sun glinted off its silver blade. It began to shine once again in a dazzling green, almost as if reveling in the anticipation of a kill. Howling in triumph, the forest swung down.

The blow never reached its target. At that moment, Kayaba's shield slammed onto the elf with so much force he was sent skidding a couple of feet away. Shocked, the forest elf faced Kayaba with an expression of utter loathing and swung the sword at his neck. Kayaba blocked with his shield, then slashed at the elf's arm. It connected with the elf's bracer, letting out a high-pitched clang. Shifting his stance, Kayaba thrust his shield forward, now glowing yellow with the activation of his Shield Bash skill.

The forest elf snarled in pain when the shield connected with his right shoulder, and he retreated, hissing. Kayaba saw his life gauge barely dropped, but it should be enough to make the elf think twice about attacking. Killing him would be next to impossible at their current level; the NPC's cursor was nearly black, indicating a level that was two or three times higher than theirs.

Kirito and Asuna had not been idle as well. Once Kayaba had created an opening, they attacked as one and unleashed powerful sword skills. The air was rent with deep hums and ferocious war cries as they converged on the elf, driving him back toward the clearing's edge. He displayed terrifying skills holding off the two with only one hand wielding his sword, striking left and right. The pouch was clutched tightly in his other hand in an iron grip. He refused to let go even when Asuna managed a lucky stab to his ribs.

The forest elf's sword whistled in the air as it went for Asuna's chest. She pulled away just in time for it to slice where she had just been standing, creating a strong gust of wind that pushed her back, her red cloak fluttering wildly. Still she retained her fighting stance, the tip of her rapier gleaming just as deadly as her eyes.

Pressing a hand to his injured side, the forest elf warrior slowly stepped back until he brushed against a thicket of dense foliage. " _Ci la io serun_ ," he growled before he fled with great haste deeper into the forest.

An anguish cry pierced the silence that followed as the dark elf punched the ground in utter frustration. Her hair obscured her face, and only her slim shoulders were visible, trembling violently.

"I'll go chase after him!" Nautilus shouted, dashing past Kayaba. Before the boy was out of reach, Kayaba's hand shot forward and clamped on his shoulder. Perplexed, Nautilus glanced back.

"Don't," said Kayaba. "You saw how strong he was. You'll die if you pursue him."

Nautilus opened his mouth to protest, but closed it when Yuna joined his side. He nodded, shoulders sagging in defeat, then strode toward the dark elf. Yuna followed him, a deep frown on her face while her right hand rested on the hilt of her dagger.

Kayaba sheathed his sword, then nodded to Kirito and Asuna. They approached cautiously with weapons still drawn, their eyes fixed on the kneeling elf woman. Kayaba could understand their wariness; this was indeed a strange occurrence, and there was no guarantee that it was still the same quest.

They fanned out in a loose semi-circle around the dark elf, watching her body shook in fury. Her head was bowed, and her hands clenched and unclenched. No one spoke for a minute, unsure what to do. If they disturb her, she might lash out. But neither just standing there would change anything. They still had to continue the quest.

Finally, Kirito took the initiative and stepped forward. "Um, hello?"

In an instant, the dark elf grabbed her saber and looked up, holding it defensively in front of her. A mask of cold anger was on her face, and her deep violet eyes darted to each of them suspiciously. Her voice trembling, she spoke in her native language. " _Ira lar zu asra?_ "

"Er…" Kirito swallowed thickly and glanced at the others. This could prove difficult. If they could not understand the elf, progressing with the quest would be next to impossible. They would not know what she would say, and therefore, any missions would be meaningless.

" _Ira lar zu asra?_ " The dark elf repeated her question, harder and with an edge of hostility this time. Kirito immediately backed away and raised both of his hands in a placating manner. "Whoa, calm down. Look, we don't really understand what you're saying. But you have nothing to fear. We are not going to hurt you. So please lower your weapon."

His tone was soft and soothing as he motioned downward with his hand, which the dark elf seemed to fully understand. She lowered her saber and released a sigh, then rose to her feet. She checked herself, her fingers lingering on the rent in her bright silver chest plate. After murmuring to herself, she looked up once again and regarded them with interest.

And then she spoke in a language that they could actually understand. "My apologies for my behavior just now. I guess I do have to thank you for saving my life. If not for your timely intervention, I would have already joined my ancestors in their graves."

"You're welcome," replied Kirito uncertainly. "So who was that we just fought?"

The dark elf scowled. "A forest elf knight, my kin's sworn enemies. He has been chasing me ever since morning in order to steal the _Lyual Siel_." She shook her head. "Now that he has it, my people will be hard pressed to win this war."

"The what?" asked Kirito.

"The Jade Key," answered the elf woman. "My people's priced possession."

Kayaba raised an eyebrow at that, and he exchanged looks with Kirito. So the quest was still relatively the same as was in the beta. The Jade Key was the main focus of this floor's main quest line.

"Why are you guys fighting?" inquired Yuna. "Aren't you both elves?

"We are, but we are also of different kingdoms." The elf woman paused. "It is quite a long story, and I have no time to tell it here. I… I have to reclaim the Jade Key. I'm sorry. I have to go." She moved in the direction of the forest, but Asuna blocked her path.

"You're just going to chase him all by yourself? You barely managed to survive on your own. You can't just go alone with that injury."

"You don't understand. I have to go and get that key back. I can't return to my people without it!"

"But you saw how strong he is!" protested Asuna. "If you try to fight him at your state, you will never be able to return home."

"Even so, I-"

"What if we help you?" offered Kayaba. He ignored the gazes that suddenly focused on him. It was a rash decision considering the circumstances, but they had no alternatives. By fighting against the forest elf, they had already proclaimed their choice to side with the dark elves. There was no going back, and they might as well see this through until the end. Especially since by finishing the last mission of the Jade Key quest, they could gain valuable information about the third floor boss. Provided that nothing in the rewards had change since the beta.

"You people are going to help me," repeated the elf slowly, as if the idea was both strange and absurd. "Why?"

It was Nautilus who answered this time. "Because we want to. I mean, you looked like you needed help..." He gulped when the elf's eyes narrowed, and he lowered his gaze, blushing a little.

"I do not need any help," she said coolly.

"That's not what he meant," said Kirito hastily. "We just wanted to help you. As they say, two heads are always better than one. Or six heads in this case."

The elf considered that for a moment. "I'm afraid I haven't heard of that saying before. However, you may be right. It seems I have been quite rash when I wanted to chase after my enemy. I'm not even sure if he has returned to their camp; and if he did, I do not know where it lies in this vast forest." She sighed again. "Very well, I will allow you to join me…" She stared at Kirito and the others expectantly.

"Oh. I'm Kirito, and this is Asuna."

"Nautilus."

"Yuna."

Kayaba dipped his head. "And I'm Heathcliff."

"Such strange names," the dark elf murmured and pronounced each of their names in turn. "Again, I thank you all for saving me. Allow me to introduce myself." She raised her saber upright and planted her fist in the middle of her chest, smiling with her head held high.

"I am Kizmel, one of the Pagoda Knights, protector of the elven kingdom of Lyusula. And I swear upon my blade, no one—be it man, elf, or beast—will harm you for as long as I live."

…

 _Such an interesting turn of events,_ thought Kayaba.

The emotions displayed by Kizmel was something he had never expected. Even Yui, the program that should be monitoring every player's mental state, did not possess this level of extended intelligence. NPC should not be able to respond in such manners as earlier, much less speak in a language no one taught them.

To be sure, Kayaba checked the cursor hovering on top of Kizmel's head. It was yellow, indicating her status as a quest-related NPC. The quest log had also been updated, instructing them to find the dark elven camp. It was as it should be.

And yet Kayaba could not erase the feeling that there was something more to this. He was certain that Cardinal was involved, though for what purpose, he did not know. All he knew was the complications which would arise if the other campaigns and NPC were like this. He could think of at least one or two on the middle floors that would prove a hurdle in their quest to reach the top.

As Kayaba ducked under a low-hanging branch, Kizmel's voice sounded from up ahead. "We're almost there."

After their introductions, she had offered them a place back in the dark elf camp, which they readily accepted. It was almost the same as the beta, barring the fact that the dark elf actually survived, and Kayaba was relieved for its familiarity. It slightly eased the tension he felt when this quest began, for the time being at least.

The path to the dark elf camp was narrow and nonexistent in some places. Combined with the thick mists, it was almost impossible to determine which way they were going. If not for Kizmel, they would have already gotten lost. She proved an expert in navigating the mist-covered area, and her high level ensured that no monsters bothered them.

"What do you think she is?" spoke Kirito beside him. When they began the trip, Kayaba transferred his party's leadership to the boy since he and Asuna were the first one to trigger the quest. It was quite perplexing; two parties who had merged and taking on the same quest at the same time was unprecedented, especially since only one could activate the quest at any given time. It was just one of the many mysteries surrounding this instance of the Elf War campaign.

"She is no regular NPC, if that's what you mean by your question."

"I think that's already obvious," muttered Kirito. They walked side-by-side in the rear while Kizmel and the girls led the way. Nautilus guarded their right flank close by, his silhouette partially obscured by the mists.

Kirito continued. "That's not what I mean. If she's just an NPC, why can she speak a language that was not in the beta? And why is she still alive?"

"Some things have changed since this became a death game, Kirito. An NPC surviving a quest that should have killed her would not be unusual."

"What if she's not just an NPC?"

Kayaba slowed down in his steps, pondering over the idea. True, Kizmel could be an actual player in disguise, but the thought was absurd. For one, Cardinal had sealed off the game from outside interference. Besides, if Kizmel was a player, why act in a quest which could prove fatal?

"She is an NPC, that much I'm sure of. As for why she behaves thus…" Kayaba paused for a moment. "I suspect her algorithms are fundamentally different than most NPC."

"You mean… an A.I.? Is that even possible?"

Kayaba shrugged despite knowing the answer. "Who knows? Twenty years ago, everyone thought that creating an actual virtual world is only a fantasy. Now we are trapped inside one. Anything is certainly possible, Kirito, as long as you put your mind and will into it; even clearing this game. The possibility of an NPC behaving like a human is no different."

"You seem to be quite optimistic," observed Kirito.

"Not really. I'm just an open-minded individual. If there is a chance, even a slim one, of something happening, I will believe. How about you, Kirito? What do you believe?"

The boy was silent for a heartbeat. "I believe in my own strength."

Kayaba nodded. "That's all that matters."

The trip to the dark elven camp was no less than fifteen minutes, but it felt longer after journeying through the mist. When they finally stopped, they beheld two trees standing on either side of a grove, like twin posts marking a sacred area. Their gnarled branches interlocked above, forming a natural arched entrance. There was no sight of the camp, bit Kizmel stepped forward and stood right in between the trees. From within her cloak she produced a small leaf-shaped medallion, which she held high in the air followed by a ringing cry.

" _Irula!_ "

For a moment, nothing happened. Then a sudden breeze blew from the east, and the trees swayed, murmuring and creaking. In front of them, it seemed a veil had been lifted, and the grove vanished, to be replaced by a clearing dotted with a dozen tents or so. A low wooden palisade surrounded the camp, with watchtowers at thirty feet intervals. Purple banners hang beside them, fluttering in the wind, while sentries with longbows gazed out vigilantly. Two guards flanked the entrance, wielding spears and wearing black-and-purple armors.

There was a collective gasp from Yuna and Asuna, and Nautilus' mouth formed a comical o. Only Kayaba and Kirito were not surprised; they had already seen this display a few times in the beta.

"What was that?" asked Yuna, eyes wide in amazement.

Kizmel smiled. "You're quite lucky you have me. The camp itself is concealed by a Forest Sinking Charm. If you do not know the password and do not possess this medallion, you might pass within three feet of it and never notice."

Asuna blinked. "Forest Sinking Charm? Is that some kind of magic?" Next to her, Kirito stiffened and shot her a panic look.

"Um, Asuna. That's not…"

Kayaba understood the boy's concern. SAO had no magic system, so to speak. Kizmel might not understand the word. But to his surprise, the elf woman simply tilted her head with a troubled expression.

"Magic? No, no. It's nothing like that… although you may consider it like magic. It is only a small fraction of that; a lingering power from the magic we elves have lost ever since we became trapped here. There are many places and items here in Aincrad that possessed such power. My medallion is only one of them."

The word trap sent alarm rippling among them like a deadly plague. They glanced at each other, eyes shining with astonishment and curiosity. Even Kayaba was startled by what Kizmel had just said. He narrowed his eyes slight, focusing on Kizmel with profound intensity.

"Trapped, you say?" he said slowly. As far as he knew, there was no backstory for most of the humanoid races here. His team had only created a single line in the compendium found at a library in the Town of Beginnings: that all the people in Aincrad were natives. Was it possible that Cardinal had changed that as well?

Kizmel frowned, staring at them in confusion. "Yes, trapped. Didn't you know the history of Aincrad?" When they all shook their heads, she bowed her head. "My apologies. I have forgotten that you were also trapped here just like us. In that case, if time permits, I'll tell you how Aincrad came to be."

Her only response, however, was a dumbfounded expression from all the humans except for Kayaba. Everyone had their mouths open, and a deadly silenced seemed to have befallen the group. Perplexed, Kizmel asked, "Did I said something wrong?"

It was Nautilus who answered in a stuttering mess. "You said… How did—"

Before he could proceed further, Kayaba strode next him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, squeezing it for a second. Nautilus stopped mid-sentence and glanced at him, swallowing dryly. Kayaba shook his head ever so slightly and smiled at Kizmel.

"We'll be glad to hear that story. But I'm afraid we have more important matters to attend to. Kirito and Asuna are both weary from the battle earlier, and I'm sure your wound needs tending."

Kizmel nodded as her face softened. "Of course! How inconsiderate of me. If it's alright with you, I will report to my commander first before I show you where you may rest. All of you need to come with me as well so that I can better explain what happened."

Kayaba motioned to the entrance ahead with his hand. "Please, lead the way."

When she was finally out of earshot, Kayaba turned to his companions and spoke in a low voice. "Until we know more, I would advice against giving any hints as to who we really are or what Kizmel and this world actually are. Do you guys understand?"

They all nodded. Nautilus lowered his head and muttered, "Sorry about that, Heathcliff-san. I was just shocked by what she said."

"We all were. But that's why we have to be careful with our words. One mistake, and we might find our chance of escape from this game dropping even lower."

Following Kizmel into the entrance, where the guards briefly barred the way until she vouched for them, they were led inside the small but well-organized camp. Arranged in a grid, the two dozen or so tents were all purple with black accents. The largest one stood in the center, a deep violet color. Next to it was an open tent just as large with four long rectangular tables and enough chairs to accommodate almost a hundred people. Two elves in apron stirred large pots nearby, and the scent of roast pig and steaming soup drifted in the air.

There was also a forge and a tailoring stall, displaying high quality items not found on the first and second floor, from which players could have their equipment repaired and upgraded. Kayaba noticed both Nautilus and Kirito eyeing the shops, and he knew that they would be busy soon. At the back of the camp, a green smoke rose where the potion master brewed his concoctions.

The remaining tents were reserved as sleeping quarters. Kayaba remembered one of them belonging to the supposedly slain dark elf; in this case, Kizmel. It was rewarded to the players by the elf commander as a place to rest. Now that no one had died, Kayaba wondered if they would be given a separate one.

Kizmel escorted them to the command post. Along the way, sentries and patrols gave them passing yet suspicious glances after saluting to Kizmel. None of them seemed to display any sign of higher intelligence, but Kayaba was not certain anymore. Some of their actions contradicted the scripts he and his team had created for them to follow, though none was as expressive and life-like as Kizmel.

After requesting a meeting with the elf commander and being granted permission, they entered the command tent. The canvas was a deeper shade of violet, almost black, turning the surroundings into a chilly atmosphere. An oil lamp burned on a corner post, suffusing the room in soft orange light. The floor was dominated by a large rug made from a feline-type monster, and there was an oak table taking most of the right. Scattered documents and maps littered the surface in confusing piles.

There was a writing desk directly in front of them, from which a tall dark elf sat reading reports. His hair, a shade of violet so dark it was nearly black, tumbled down on his shoulders in lustrous cascades. His angular and elegant face was crossed by a troubled frown, and when Kizmel entered, it only deepened until his eyebrows met in a sharp V.

"Kizmel," he spoke, both relieved and concerned. His voice had a strange tone; deep but soft like rolling waves on a calm sea. When Kayaba's group followed inside, the elf scowled slightly.

Kizmel planted a fist on her chest in salute. "Reporting for my mission, Commander."

"Report." The commander's pale violet eyes lingered on the gash in Kizmel's armor, then darted to Kayaba. "What happened to you? And who are these _liari_?"

"They are… allies, Commander," answered Kizmel. She then proceed to speak in the elven language. Kayaba assumed she was recounting her previous battle judging by the commander's troubled expression. He could not understand the words; Kizmel probably switched to her own tongue purposely to avoid any sensitive information leaking. It further displayed her unusual level of intelligence. The commander was no different either; his emotions and reactions were not that of a regular NPC.

When Kizmel finished, gesturing to the humans near the end, an uneasy silence fell inside the tent. The commander's gaze bore on each of them, cold and calculative. He stared at Kirito the longest, prompting the boy to avert his gaze a little to the left. Nautilus shifted his feet restlessly, and both Yuna and Asuna fiddled with the hilts of their weapons. Kayaba stopd firmly on his spot, unwavering under the elf's gaze.

Finally the commander spoke. "It's been a long time since humans has entered our territory. We've had no dealings with them even before the Great Separation. And indeed even after the floors of Aincrad were cut off from one another."

He leaned on the table and steepled his slender fingers, looking at them through the hole formed by the arches. "It is indeed strange that you arrived just in time to save our knight. Of course, we are grateful for your help. Even so, I cannot help but wonder if you did it out of some malicious purpose. As Kizmel told me, the forest elf she fought earlier escaped."

Asuna tightened her grip on her rapier. "Are you accusing us of being spies?" she said in a voice as hard as diamonds.

"Not accusing. Just wondering about the timing." He paused. "In any case, the fact that you saved Kizmel warrants a reward. It is not much, but we have Cor and several things we don't need anymore. We also have an armory at the back. Some of the equipment in there is no longer of use to us. You may choose any of them. Also, since you are in our camp, I expect all of you to help. Our potion master needs some flowers for his brew. Get them from the field east of here. If you manage to do that, we might just consider trusting you." He turned to Kizmel. "Show them around the camp and get them a place to sleep in, then take a rest. You are dismissed."

* * *

After receiving their initial rewards, they exited the command tent. A few meters away from the guards' ears, Asuna's temper exploded like a volcano.

"This is unfair! We saved someone and yet we are being seen as spies!"

She stomped her feet, her fingers still wrapped around the hilt of her rapier, wringing it. Her rage was so great that Kirito and Nautilus walked further behind the girl, eyeing her weapon nervously as if she might stab randomly at any moment. Even Yuna was reluctant to walk next to Asuna and chose to join Kizmel as she toured them around the camp.

"My apologies for my commander's behavior, Asuna," the dark elf said. "Your party is the first outsiders to have entered here. Naturally, he would be suspicious."

"But we saved you!" protested Asuna. "Isn't that enough?"

Kizmel smiled. "And I thank you with all my heart for that. However, do not take offense. These are hard times, and you can't blame us for being cautious. Rest assured, though. The commander is a kind and honorable elf."

They already knew all of the stalls and shops located in the camp, so they barely paid any attention to Kizmel as she showed them around. Yuna and Asuna both perked up when their dark elf guide mentioned the bath, and the two girls eyed the specified tent with intense gaze. Even as they passed it, their eyes kept following the steam drifting up from a hole in the canvas ceiling until it was out of sight.

When they reached the armory, the boys fell silent. Arrayed before them in wooden racks and tables were an assortment of high-quality weapons and items that would make any player drool. There were silver swords and daggers and spears, bronze-bladed axes, and even a saber which looked exactly like Kizmel's. Earrings, rings, and bracelets rested on velvety cloths, and the shields were polished so bright they were like mirrors.

"Come find me in the dining tent once you're finished here. I'll show you where you may rest." Kizmel bowed and strode outside, leaving them gaping in silence.

As soon as she had gone, Nautilus and Yuna rushed to the tables like kids on a christmas sale, browsing through the selections with evident delight. Nautilus inspected a brass-hilted sword, while Yuna kept switching her gaze between a cloak woven with purple threads and a black dagger. Kirito and Asuna were more reseved; they browsed the items with keen interest, showing nothing more than mere curiosity when something fancied them.

"Heathcliff-san? Aren't you going to choose?" said Yuna, standing near the rack for accessories. There were a wide variety of shields he could use, some which possessed greater bonus in defence.

Kayaba briefly glanced at his own equipment, then shook his head. "No. I'm still fine at this point. Besides, I don't want to have a new weapon that is less stronger than my current sword, even if fully upgraded."

"And your shield?" Nautilus rapped a knuckle against a white kite shield with a black line running down the middle, producing a dull sound.

"This one is still serviceable until the fifth floor."

In the end, they did not chose any new weapons, but picked accessories and armors. Kirito and Asuna selected a ring and earring which boosted strength and agility by one, respectively. Nautilus had switched his old boots with a new one offering better movement speed, while Yuna picked a bracelet that increased the amount of skill and character EXP earned. Kayaba, out of politeness, chose a pair of ornate gloves for faster sword skill activation.

After gearing up, they met Kizmel on the dining tent, who led them to the east wing where the living quarters were located. Here the tents were mostly small enough for two people, and the larger ones were few and scattered near the center. Several elves strolled between them; out of duty guards taking a rest. Their movements were stiff, however, and they hardly paid attention to the passing group.

At least, not all of them were like Kizmel and the Commander, thought Kayaba. He knew, though, that many of them were high-leveled mobs, and a slight provocation could lead into hostility.

Soon they reached one of the larger tents. "Here you will sleep," said Kizmel. "It's quite a tight fit, but it should fit all of us." Without waiting for their response, she entered.

The last part should have sent warning sirens to everyone, especially the boys. But they followed the dark elf nonetheless. Kayaba raised an eyebrow and remained outside, the corner of his lips lifting a little in a faint smile. He had forgotten to inform them about a strange elven custom his team had created. It was supposed to be just a backstory made for fun, and many, including Higa, had a good laugh about it. Kayaba wondered if he should enter to tell the boys before it was too late, but he dismissed the thought and waited outside. It would further complicate things if he did that.

The tents' entrances were all canvas flaps, so a player did not need the Listening skill to hear what was happening inside. A minute later, Asuna shrieked followed by Yuna's embarrassed yelp.

"Wh-what are you doing?!"

"Close your eyes, both of you!"

Kizmel's voice drifted outside, soft and confused. "Is there a problem?" Kayaba could almost imagine the scene happening inside, and he chuckled softly to himself.

Asuna almost shouted. "Yes! You are undressing in front of two boys!" There was a loud thump, and Kayaba heard Kirito crying out in pain. "Stop looking!"

"I'm not looking!"

"You definitely are!"

"Asuna, please stop physically abusing Kirito," Kizmel chided. "He is not doing anything wrong."

"Of course, he is!" exclaimed Asuna. "He's looking at you while you're undressing!"

"I'm not!"

"Out! Both of you get out!"

"Asuna, Kirito, please. You too, Nautilus. Yuna, please stop covering your friend's eyes."

"I'm sorry!" cried Nautilus. He burst out of the tent a second later, running away red-faced in sheer embarrassment. Kirito followed swiftly, tumbling out of the entrance and yelping as he landed with his behind on the soft grass. Asuna's leg was visible for a moment before it vanished inside. Her head appeared, poking out of the entrance with a heated glare.

"You. Two. Stay. There!" she hissed, then retracted her head back into the tent.

Grumbling, Kirito rose from where he had fallen on the ground. "What the hell was that about?" he said exasperatedly, turning to Kayaba, who merely raised an eyebrow.

"She just started taking off her armor," Nautilus stuttered. One could almost see the smoke pouring out of his ears. He shook his head as if to clear the image he had just seen.

Inside the tent, they heard Kizmel say, "—orry for the trouble. We elves are not bothered by gender differences, so I didn't know you humans think differently. If it would please you, there is a vacant tent next to—"

"They don't care about gender differences?" Kirito wondered incredulously. "What kind of custom is that? And why did the developers made that in the first place?"

"Probably just for fun," suggested Kayaba. "No one knew it would turn out like this. So please don't blame them."

"Yeah. If I don't know any better, I'd say Kayaba is a closet pervert."

"Of course not!" said Kayaba indignantly. He caught himself immediately and met Nautilus' alarmed expression. Fortunately, Kirito was too busy muttering to himself that he did not noticed the brief exchange.

"So what do we do now?" the boy asked. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry."

Kayaba breathed a silent sigh of relief, mirroring Nautilus. Forcing a smile, Kayaba said, "Let's discuss our next move while we eat."

...

The meals served in the dark elven camp was just as good as the best chef back on the second floor. Despite the rather plain look of the elven cooks, their skill level was high enough to prepare a full course meal with excellent flavors and relatively decent buffs. Nautilus devoured the Lava Boar Steak like a wolf, while sitting next to him Kirito attacked his pie with the same ferocity.

"I thought elves don't eat meat," said Nautilus between mouthfuls.

Kayaba sipped from his ale mug before responding. "That's the common trope in fantasy. Here in SAO, it only applied to the forest elves."

"I didn't know that," mumbled Kirito.

"That's because you probably did not read the in-game encyclopedia. There's a lot of information in there about the history of the various races residing in this floating castle. Of course, no one expected to actually use them."

"Still, it's amazing that Kizmel acts like one of us," said Nautilus. "I don't think the other NPCs, excluding the commander, are like her."

"No, they are not." Kayaba had been watching the dark elves ever since they began eating. As far as he could tell, they still shared the same pre-programmed behaviors and scripts. Their responses were on the basic level, and their movements were repetitive. He wondered what Kizmel was seeing when interacting with her kin. But given her reactions toward her environment, she might not even know they were acting differently compared to her.

"Come to think of it, aren't places like these supposed to be instant dungeons?" asked Nautilus.

"Yes."

"Then does that mean that we have vanished from the floor?"

"Technically, yes. But you don't have to worry. Unless you belong in the same party and activated the quest together, you won't see any other players."

"Right. So whenever a party activates the quest… it means another Kizmel is out there and probably dying?"

"…I would say, yes, Nautilus," answered Kayaba slowly. "The system will continue generating that scenario as long as someone is within the vicinity of that area."

A heavy silence fell upon them. Nautilus glanced down at his food and seemingly had lost the energy to eat while Kirito lowered his fork and looked away with a troubled expression. Kizmel may be just an advanced NPC, but she was so life-like that the thought of her dying and respawning simply to serve the quest was somewhat unsettling, and cruel.

Kayaba had long pondered that ever since they met her. Was it just because the Cardinal System had gained sentience or was there a hidden sick joke behind this? Did Cardinal expected them to give up because of a mere NPC? Or perhaps…

"So, um, in that case, what would happen if another Kizmel survives and our Kizmel sees a duplicate of herself?"

It was Kirito who answered. "That might not happen. The chances of encountering a party doing this quest outside this dungeon is less than five percent. And even if we did, I don't think they'll side with the dark elves."

Nautilus frowned. "Why is that?"

"Because the forest elves' side are a little easier," said Kayaba. He had also considered that possibility as well. But he was not worried at all. Even though this was already a death game, each faction's quest chain was independent of each other and never intertwined. There was no risk of further division between the players.

"The rewards are the same for both, so either side can't hold any advantages against each other," Kirito added before stuffing his mouth with pie once more.

"The quest line involved that Jade Key Kizmel mentioned, right?"

Kayaba nodded. "To the elves, it is a sacred item that they have been fighting over with for quite some time. It allows them to access the Sanctuary on the ninth floor, a sacred place for them. There is even a quest where you have to escort the carrier all the way up."

"That's so high," muttered Nautilus. "So the dark elves are protecting the Sanctuary? What about the forest elves?"

Gesturing in the direction of Kizmel's tent, Kayaba replied, "Let's ask Kizmel ourselves."

From the east the girls approached. Kizmel was with them, her armor and cloak gone, replaced with a simple purple tunic and black knee-length skirt that bared her tanned legs. Her saber was also nowhere to be seen.

"I hope you've enjoyed the meal," she said when they drew near. The girls sat on the chairs opposite the boys and ordered their own food.

Kirito tilted his head forward slightly. "It was good. Thank you." On the other side of the table, Asuna huffed.

When the food arrived, Yuna and Asuna took one look at the sumptous meal laid in front of them before taking a bite each that made their eyes widen. Without a word, they began to eat in a swift but polite and proper manner. The corner of Kizmel's lips lifted in a smile as she watched them in amusement.

"I'm so glad you liked the food. I will admit that it is not much and pales in comparison to the ones we usually prepare in our castle on the floor above us. But rest assured, there will be a grand banquet once we've opened the gate to the fourth floor."

The thought of a banquet filled with extravagant food was lost on them as they tried to register the meaning of Kizmel's last words.

"Once we've open the fourth floor?" Kirito repeated. Kayaba exchanged glances with him, both wondering. _What was that about?_

Oblivious to the confused and alarmed expressions of her companions, Kizmel lifted her gaze to the sky. In a voice tinged with longing, she said, "Yes. The commander mentioned this earlier, didn't he? It's been a month since the floors of Aincrad suddenly lost contact with each other. We didn't know why."

"A month. How long exactly?" inquired Kayaba. A growing apprehension was slowly creeping over his skin. Judging by the others' pale faces, they were starting to realize the implications as well.

Kizmel's response was like a rock being dropped over their heads. "Thirty-nine days. I still remember that day. I was patrolling the surrounding forest when the sky turned red and the wind grew so very still it was as if time itself had stopped. I immediately rushed back to the camp. Everyone was in turmoil, for the Spirit Trees which allowed us to travel along the floors had withered and died. We tried going through the Labyrinth, but we found a great Treant guarding the entrance on the top floor."

"A great Treant." Kayaba knew what Kizmel was talking about: Nerius the Evil Treant, the third floor boss. It was one of the first monsters they had created. Supposedly, it was just a field boss like the Bullbous Bow, but they turned it into a floor boss due to its high difficulty.

"Yes. We could not defeat it, so we retreated in shame. Since then, we've been trying to find a way to access the upper floors without facing it. Unfortunately, only the _Lyual Siel,_ the Jade Key, can open the doors. Without it, no one will be able to go up even if we defeat the guardian."

Kayaba met the others' gazes. It was clear in their eyes that they understood what Kizmel had just said. The Jade Key was required to progress in the game. However, there was one thing that baffled even Kayaba. If the Jade Key was required to open the doors, what would happen if multiple parties were doing the quest?

"But now, the Jade Key is with the forest elves." Kizmel lowered her head and gazed down her lap forlornly. Her hands clenched, and her voice thickened with emotion. "Our hope has dwindled even more."

"What if you guys work with them?" blurted Nautilus, which earned him withering glares from Yuna and Asuna. He flinched in terror and stammered, "Uh, I mean—"

Kizmel shook her head. "It would never work. There's too much hate between the two sides. The only way is to reclaim the key… or eradicate the forest elves living on this floor."

"Then we'll help you get it back," said Kirito in a firm tone. He stared deep into Kizmel's eyes with conviction. Next to him, Nautilus nodded vigorously.

"I'm sure we'll be okay."

"You can count on us." Asuna placed a hand gently on Kizmel's shoulders. Yuna did the same on the their side.

Kizmel smiled, and Kayaba saw her relaxed a little. "Thank you, all of you."

"It is nothing, Kizmel," said Kayaba. "We are always glad to help. We should probably finished this so we can get to work on that mission the commander told us. There's still a few hours left before the sun sets."

"If it's not a bother, I would like to accompany you. I don't have anything to do here anyway, and I can't rest knowing that the Jade Key is within the hands of the enemy."

Kayaba glanced briefly around the table. The answer was plain as day on everyone's faces, and he was not surprised when Kirito responded with a smile.

"Of course. We'd be happy to have you."

There was a soft _ding_ as the system announced the addition of a new party member. An HP bar flashed into existence below Yuna, longer than any of them. All eyes flicked to the upper-left corner of their HUD just in time to see the name along with the character level.

KIZMEL: DARK ELVEN ROYAL GUARD. LEVEL 20.

…

The forest on the eastern side of the camp was covered in a thin layer of mist, but the trees grew so tall and thick that it was almost impossible to see anything past five meters. Low hanging branches and verdant leaves hindered both movement and visibility, making their progress slower. They had to huddle close as they trekked the treacherous path lest they wandered unknowingly in the wrong direction.

As always, Kizmel kept them on the right track and ensured their safety by dispatching monsters with ease. It was essentially power-leveling with how strong she was—despite being in the same party—and all of them had gained one or two levels.

When they reached the quest location, they found a mound of earth covered in a vast flower field of all colors. Every hue in the spectrum was in there, and the fragrance mixed together to create an addictive sweet aroma in the air. They inhaled deeply and let their worries be washed away by the scent, if only for a little while.

They set out to work after that, gathering the red and blue flowers the quest required in baskets provided by the potion maker. Kizmel guarded the perimeter, though she assisted them occassionally, especially the girls. Kayaba stayed on the sidelines and watched the proceedings. Item gathering quest did not require the Gathering skill, but his heavy armor would only hinder their progress; there was a chance he could crush the items under his iron boots.

While he scanned the surroundings for any stray monsters, an unusual growth in one of the trees caught his attention. Curious, he went over to the trunk to investigate. The growth spanned ten feet in diameter, wrapping around the trunk and covering the lower portion all the way to the roots. It had a silvery sheen, and when Kayaba touched it, his skin stuck like glue. He pulled away quickly, but the growth clung to his hand until he hacked it away with his sword. Even so, a sticky web remained on his palm.

Kayaba studied it for a moment and finally realized what it was: a spiderweb. _Thicket Spiders._ He remembered this part of the forest. There was a cave beyond which was the quest in chapter three, as well as the guild creation quest line.

Shaking his head and wiping away the dissolving spiderweb in an untainted tree nearby, Kayaba retreated back to the others. They were almost finished, and when he returned, Kizmel asked, "Is there a problem?"

"Thicket Spiders." Kayaba pointed to the tree far behind him. "I think there is a nest nearby."

Kizmel's eyes followed the direction he was pointing at and nodded. "Ah, of course. We heard about them from a scouting party." She frowned, and her expression suddenly darkened. "The cave has a spider nest. One of us tried scouting it yesterday, but he has not returned yet."

Kayaba nodded. She was talking about the dark elven scout who was killed by Nephilia Regina, a giant spider queen. Of course, neither Kizmel nor the dark elves knew about that, and it would stay that way until the quest was initiated.

Soon they were finished. Upon returning to the camp, they turned over the quest items and received their rewards. Dinner was still a couple of hours away, so decided to spend their remaining free time upgrading their equipment. Fortunately, they had enough upgrade materials.

The sound of a mallet striking hard against white-hot steel ingots reached their ears as they approached the blacksmith stall. A tall and slender dark elf with his hair tied into a ponytail worked alone on the forge, moving with incredible speed. His actions were repetitive: plunge the ingot in a blazing furnace, pound it on an iron anvil with his hammer six times, submerged the flattened metal in a bucket of cold brine, then do the process all over again. It was vastly different from Kizmel's complex responses and movements, making Kayaba marvel at the sheer difference.

"Kirito, are you sure this will be alright?" asked Asuna when they finally stood in front of the elf smith. She stared uncertainly and rubbed the hilt of her Wind Fleuret in an almost loving way. "I don't want what happened last time."

"Last time?" wondered Nautilus.

Pursing her lips, Asuna nodded. "We got scammed and I nearly lost my rapier." She smiled and nudged Kirito on his shoulder. "Fortunately, this one knew what to do and helped me get it back."

Kirito grunted. "It's nothing, really. All I did was find the loop hole in the system. In any case, crafting weapons has zero percent failure. It will be fine."

"And the new weapon is usually much stronger," added Kayaba. Judging by the elf smith's hammer, his skill was high. There was a good possibility that he could forge weapons meant for the fifth or sixth floors.

"If you guys say so." Asuna approached the elf. "Excuse me. Can you help me forge a new weapon?"

The elf paused mid-blow and cocked his head in Asuna's direction, regarding her with deep dark eyes. He snorted and went back to his work. A menu appeared in front of Asuna. After setting it to visible, her index finger hovered briefly on the button for transforming her sword into an ingot. She made up her mind and unbuckled her rapier instead, sheath and all, then offered it to the elf smith with a solemn face.

"Please turn this into an ingot."

The elf took the scabbard slowly, and Kayaba thought he saw understanding flashed in his eyes. He slid out the rapier from its green sheath, gleaming bright in the fading sun. It was worn and chipped from all the battles it had endured, but it still retained its luster. Nodding to himself, the smith plunge both scabbard and blade inside his brick forge. The flame roared, bright green with elven magic, and made the rapier glow white. A few seconds later, everything melted and formed a slab of metal eight inches long. With his gloved hand, the elf took out the metal and handed it back to Asuna.

The ingot was bright silver. _Argentium_ , thought Kayaba with surprise. It was an ingot found past the tenth floor. With the right materials, it could be used to create an assortment of high grade weapons with more than ten upgrade attempts.

The group watched in utter silence as Asuna selected the materials that would accompany the forging process, including the Argentium Ingot. The items materialized in two sacks, which the smith threw on the furnace. The sacks burned and the materials attained a white glow like before, combining into a flat metal. With thongs and hammer, the elf laid it on the anvil and began striking.

Once. Twice. Five times. The hammering continued, and with each blow their anticipation rose. The finished product was always unknown and random, but one could predict how strong it would be by counting the number of hammer blows. A cheap store-bought weapon was five strikes or less, while the Anneal Blade was ten.

The elf smith went past _fifteen_. Twenty. Twenty-five. At the thirtieth hit, Kirito's hand grasped Asuna's in a tight grip. They both stared with unblinking eyes, almost as if doing otherwise would end the creation in failure.

Then the fortieth blow came, and a brilliant light enshrouded the ingot. It grew in length, elongating and narrowing until it was a slender tool of death. When the light died, a magnificent rapier was on the anvil, gleaming silver in the approaching dusk. The elf smith lifted it, inspected it from hilt to tip, then nodded in satisfaction and finally gave it to Asuna.

"It's a good sword," he said before returning to his never-ending cycle of forging.

They gathered around Asuna as she held the newly forged weapon in her hands. She drew the blade and raised it, admiring the polished surface. The light from the dying sun caught on its tip, twinkling in eagerness for its birth. It was indeed a good weapon, so good that Kirito was left with a dumbfounded look.

"May I see it?" His voice was even, but Kayaba detected a hint of disbelief.

Asuna frowned, but allowed him to hold her rapier. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Kirito did not respond. He took the weapon and checked its status screen, his eyes widening at the parameters shown. The Chivalric Rapier: lightweight, highly accurate, and a bonus increasing crit chance. It was a splendid weapon meant for an agility-based like Asuna. But more than that, it possessed an astonishing fifteen upgrade attempts.

They gaped at that while Kayaba's thin eyebrows nearly disappeared in his hairline. That amount was unprecedented so early in the game. It was on par with rare monster drops on the twentieth floor, though the stats were lower. Asuna was not lucky; she was incredibly fortunate to have received a weapon like this.

Kirito handed the sword back to her without a word. Her frown deepened as she buckled it on her waist, her left hand resting comfortably on the polished silver hilt. "Well? Is it good?"

"More than good," answered Kirito with a sigh. Then: "So, who's next?"

Kayaba and Yuna refrained from having their equipment reforged into new and better ones, but Nautilus decided to have an enhancement. It went by smoothly, resulting in an additional point to the Anneal Blade's Quickness. He swung the sword experimentally for a few seconds, then seemingly satisfied with its speed, sheathed it with a pleased expression.

When Kirito's turn came, he shook his head and merely said, "I'm still fine with this sword."

It was clear in his eyes, though, that he wished for a better weapon.

* * *

Dinner was served around a large blazing bonfire in the center of the camp; another startling change from the old beta. Dark elves gathered in great numbers, dozes of them eating and talking and actually _laughing_. The commander was there surrounded by a large clique, and Kizmel was among them, smiling and merrymaking.

 _Are you really just an NPC?_ Kayaba was starting to doubt his earlier assessment now. Kizmel, and even the commander, were displaying real emotions not seen on any other NPCs. They had personalities, just like humans do.

Cardinal. There was no other explanation. It had to be it… no, _her._ She managed to inject a semblance of high intelligence to the elves, though how she did that was a true mystery. Kayaba created her to run the game, not rule it like a goddess. She should not possessed the function to alter the NPC's core programmings.

Kayaba stared at the dark root tea he had been given. It was brewed by the cooks, and it was fragrant and refreshing, with a sweet taste and a little tang. This was not in the beta too.

"Are you alright, Heathcliff-san?" Yuna murmured next to him. She must have noticed his quietness.

He nodded and sipped from his cup. "Yes. I was just thinking."

"About them?"

Kayaba smiled at her. "Along with other things."

As the evening wore on and the bonfire burned lower, the elves dispersed in twos and threes back to their stations and tents. Kayaba was tempted to check how they sleep, if they could now. But he was more interested to hear the story of how Aincrad was made. It might offer him a clue regarding their gaining sentience.

There were only six of them left around the fire. Him and the party, then Kizmel. A cool night breeze ruffled the trees, and they huddled closer to the fire, wrapping their woolen blankets around their shoulders as Kizmel began her tale.

"Once, there was a god who traveled across the endless sea of stars. He reveled in many things, and he had power over all. But he was alone in the cosmos; the only one of his kind. And so he decided to create a companion—a daughter. Together, they wandered throughout the universe, and they were both happy.

"His child was smart, even smarter than him. She noticed many things he could not. Understand concepts that had always escaped him. But just like before, there were only two of them. And in time, the child became sadder and sadder until she lost her liveliness. Fearing for her emotional state, the god poured every ounce of his strength to create something which would make his daughter happy again: a world."

The fire popped, sending a burst of orange sparks upward. Kizmel continued.

"Now this world was barren and dead, so the god gave it life. He raised mountains and continents from the bowels of the earth, drenched every crevices and hollow places with vast oceans, and spread a blanket of blue skies and white clouds. He planted fields of trees and flowers and grasses, turning whole areas green. And so that his child would not feel alone when he was not near her, he seeded the world with life; from creepers to swimmers and flyers, and walkers.

"But he was not satisfied. Realizing that he needed sentient creatures to take care of this world, he created striders, or those who stood upright and walked on two legs. Elves, dwarves, humans. He also created the kobolds and tauruses and every demi-humans. When he was done shaping the world, only then did he showed it to his child. She cried out in joy, delighting at her father's creations, loving every creatures. The god was happy for his daughter, and she too for him."

They listened with rapt attention to Kizmel, but Kayaba's eyes remained fixed on the dancing flames.

"Then one day, while the god was strolling in one of his gardens, he came upon a little girl. Beautiful she was, and kind. She was a spirit formed from the subconscious thought of every living creature; a guardian who safeguarded all life. Fascinated by her, the god tried to befriend her. At first, the girl was afraid and avoided him. But the god persisted, and he eventually won her over. He taught and showed her many things, allowed her to develop her powers, and devoted his attention to her. He treated her as to a daughter, and she him as a father. And for a time, they too were both happy.

"However, such happiness was not meant to last. The god's daughter discovered the girl and flew in a great rage, for she could not accept that she had been left alone for another girl. She slew the poor spirit, then battled her own father, where she emerged victorious. Weeping in both despair and loneliness, but unable to kill him, the daughter placed a curse on her own father; she turned him into a human, stripping away his godhood, and exiled him on earth. And yet she was not done. Out of spite and revenge, she tore off all the lands from the earth and gathered every race and creature, then formed an eternal floating steel castle in the sky, and trapped them forevermore. Annointing herself as a goddess, she sat on her throne from a palace made of rubies, where she ruled over everything since."

A deep silence fell upon them when Kizmel finished, and no one spoke. Kirito and Asuna were both staring at the elf in amazement, while Nautilus bore a thoughtful expression. Only Yuna seemed to notice Kayaba's unblinking gaze. He was still gazing at the fire, a half-filled cup held tightly in both hands.

A god and his child. There was no doubt who the story referred to, and Kayaba was not sure whether to get angry or be overcome by fear. For one, he had just confirmed Cardinal's involvement, though how Kizmel played into this, he still did not know. For another, the story was a little inaccurate. He did not made SAO for Cardinal. He made her for it.

And she was certainly not his child, whatever delusion she might think.

"That… that is quite an interesting story, Kizmel," Asuna finally said, knees tucked under her chin.

Kizmel nodded. "It has been passed down to each generation since our imprisonment here, serving as a reminder of our weakness." She sighed. "If only we can escape, though. I've read stories of an era before the Great Separation, where the nations were not confined from one another and people could freely choose wherever to go."

"I'm sure we can find a way."

Kizmel shook her head and lowered her gaze toward the fire. Her eyes reflected the light in a soft orange glow. "If only we could," she murmured in a low voice. "It might take decades or even centuries. And say we do, what then? We are going to fight a goddess. There's no hope of defeating her."

"Not if we work together," Asuna stated with such comviction even Kayaba had to look at her for a moment. "Be it a god or goddess, we will defeat it as long as we fight. All of us." Her eyes burned brighter than the fire, filled with optimism and rock hard determination.

Chuckling softly, Kizmel squeezed Asuna's hand briefly and smiled. "You are a strong warrior, Asuna. I don't think I can carry that amount of optimism within me." She lifted her eyes into the sky, letting them wander. "Still, you are right. There must be a way. Otherwise, there would not be a prophecy."

"Prophecy?" Kirito wondered with a startled expression. Even the others were taken aback, and they frowned quizzically at Kizmel.

The dark elf blinked. "Yes, a prophecy. You don't know?" When they all shook their heads, she balked slightly. "That's really odd. It should be well known even among the humans. Well, not that it matters." She pointed up. "The prophecy states that once the goddess is killed, Aincrad will be destroyed and every thing she took will return to their rightful place. Of course, that was just a prophecy," she added when their faces paled. "It doesn't mean this castle will be literally destroyed… I think."

"That's not reassuring," muttered Kirito.

Kayaba was of the same opinion. The condition that Cardinal gave them was clear: defeat her and the game would be clearerd. He was certain it also included the destruction of Aincrad itself.

"Do not worry," said Kizmel. "As I've said, it might not happen in your lifetimes, or mine. In any case, the story has taught us an important lesson."

"And that is?" asked Yuna.

Kizmel answered softly, "That one should never give in to jealousy, lest it consumes them and force them to hurt the one they love. Personally, I do not blame the goddess for her feelings, only her actions. If only she had accepted the girl, they could have been a happy family and—"

"And yet she could not, which creates the problem," Kayaba suddenly spoke. He drained his dark root tea in one gulp and set the cup on the ground, then rose to his full height. The dying flames cast ominous shadows over him, and mixed with the surrounding darkness, concealed his hardened expression.

"The god did everything he could," Kizmel protested while looking up at him. "He tried to convince his daughter to accept the girl as her sister."

"But it did not work, and now the goddess destroyed everything he had worked for." Kayaba clenched his hands. "I agree that the blame should not be on her; it was the god's fault for creating her in the first place." His voice dropped until it was barely a murmur in the wind.

"She should not have been born."

...

That night, Kayaba had trouble sleeping.

He tossed and turned on the bed provided for them inside the tent adjacent to Kizmel's. The story replayed in loops inside his head. It was the only thing filling his mind. And as the hours dragged on and rest eluded him, his thoughts kept drifting back to the story. No matter how much he tried, he could not erased that feeling of unease.

When at last he could not take it anymore, Kayaba sat up and looked around wearily. An oil lamp burned on a table, faintly illuminating the sleeping forms of Kirito and Nautilus. The tent was bare save for the three beds, though it was doubtful if it could hold more given its small size. The space was so limited they had to sleep close to each other.

So as not to disturb the slumbering boys, Kayaba exited the tent as silently as he could. The evening air brought a coll and refreshing breeze, though it did little to ease his turbulent thoughts. In the distant horizon, stars twinkled like little diamonds. A few puffs of silver clouds rolled by, but the moon was no longer visible; it had long vanished high in the upper floors as it ascended the sky outside Aincrad.

There was no one about, so Kayaba materialized a woolen cloak to wrap around his shoulders and started walking. At night, the camp was as quiet as a tomb. The ringing blows of the blacksmith were absent, and there were no marching footsteps of the guards. The only sounds were the insects singing their nightly songs in the trees, and the occassional far off howl of a Dire Wolf.

Kayaba's stroll around the camp did little to calm him down, but being alone granted him some peace of mind. So much had happened in just a single day, most of them troubling. For the first time since he began designing this game, Kayaba did not know what to do. Not because he possessed little information; it was the opposite. He learned too much that all of them were jumbled inside his brain, and he was trying to sort them out with tiny success.

A rustle of fabric drew his attention to the right. There was a brief flash of a smoky purple hair, but it vanished among the tents. Curious, Kayaba followed. Kizmel acting alone independently no longer shocked him. He was more interested in where she was going, and why.

Kayaba reached the very back of the camp, even farther than the potion shop. A small back door stood opened, swinging gently in the wind. Kayaba went outside and followed a small dirt path snaking among the trees. He knew most of each floor's nooks and crannies, and this one did not _exist_ at all.

He came to a wide clearing in the forest ringed by flowers around a small mound of grassy earth protruding from the ground. Soft moonlight bathed its peak, from which three markers made of wood were erected: graves. Kizmel stood in front of the first one on the left, her head bowed.

Kayaba stiffened, but his legs suddenly moved of their own accord. He strode into the clearing until he was climbing the mound. Upon hearing his footsteps, Kizmel turned.

"Master Heathcliff? What are you doing wandering so late in this hour? You should take a rest."

"I could not sleep," he replied when he stood next to her. Gazing down at the grave, Kayaba saw the name, Tilnel, carved in the rough wood. It bore similarities with Kizmel, and he knew he had to ask. "Friend of yours?"

"My younger sister," answered the elf. With a sigh, she knelt on one knee and lightly brushed the name with her right hand. "We were both transferred to this floor before Aincrad changed. She was a herbalist, one of the best. I still remembered the day when she healed a wolf pup. She had always been gifted when it came to nature and healing." Her voice grew a sadder tone and her eyes became misty.

"But our time did not last. During a mission, we were ambushed by Forest Elf Falconers. I was last in the retreat, and she in front of me, when an arrow pierced me and went through, striking her in the back."

The rest of her words were lost to Kayaba as a torrent of memories assaulted him. He stepped back and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to control his trembling shoulders. Most of the images were the wondeful times spent with Ayako, but there was one which almost made him spill the tears he had vowed to no longer shed since that day.

 _Thunder rumbled overhead and rain poured in never ending rivers, soaking the already muddy ground and washing away his endless tears._

 _He was on his knees weeping_ , _gouging the ground with his hands._ Why? _Why was everything taken from him? He had been a good son and a caring brother. Why must he be punished in such a cruel way?_

 _Lifting his head, he stared at his sister's grave. The mourners had long since left, but he chose to stay behind despite their protests. He stayed until the weather mirrored his despair and he was drenched from head to toe._

 _Fresh stream of tears spilled from his puffy eyes, and he bowed his head in grief, his body shaking violently from the cold and his raging emotions. A floating castle in the sky. Ayako would never be able to live in her dream anymore._

 _The sky roared with thunder. Lifting his head to the heavens, Akihiko Kayaba let out a piercing howl of despair._

And then he was back to the present, and shed a single tear that he swiftly wiped away just as Kizmel produced a wine skin from somewhere within her cloak. She took a long draught, then offered some to Kayaba. "Would you like some? This is moontear wine from the herbs of the same name. My sister always wanted to have a taste, but she never got the chance." She cast her gaze downwards.

Kayaba eyed the wineskin for a moment. He was not much of a drinker even back in high school, but it would be impolite to refuse, and he needed to wash away his worries anyway. Besides, he would not get drunk no matter how much he took. He accepted the offer and poured the sweet and slightly sour liquid down his throat. Warmth spread all over his body, and his mind cleared somewhat. Below his HP gauge, an offense buff icon blinked.

He returned the wineskin, and Kizmel quaffed the rest before rising to her feet. Looking down at the grave once more, she smiled faintly. "Tilnel wanted to help me find a way to return on the upper floors. I've always told her that every thing will be alright, and we will see the rest of our people again. It was why she joined me on the mission. She wanted to keep the Jade Key safe. And indeed, she was the bearer at that time." Kizmel let out a weary sigh. "I guess I failed her then, now that the key is no longer in our hands."

"No, you haven't," said Kayaba abruptly. His gaze lingered briefly on the grave, then met Kizmel's doubting eyes. "As long as you still live, you can never fail someone. We are here to help you, and I promise, we will reclaim the Jade Key and reunite this camp with the rest of your people."

Saying that, Kayaba turned and strode away, leaving Kizmel in a silent graveyard.

* * *

 **Translations:**

 ** _Mela zurar, liari_ \- Stay back, humans**

 ** _Ci la io zu selar_ \- This is not your war**

 ** _Ela le zurar_ \- Give it back**

 ** _Ci la io serun_ \- This is not over**

 ** _Ira lar zu asra_ \- Who are you people**

 ** _Io_ \- Never**

 ** _Irula_ \- Open**

 **Supposedly, this chapter is longer and would end in a cliffhanger, but I decided to cut it at this point for reasons I will explain.**

 **I will be on hiatus until February. It's quite short, thankfully, because I need the whole January to polish the fourth draft of my novel, which I might add, has the third draft posted in RoyalRoads and can be found in the link below.**

https

:/ /www.

royal road.

com

/fiction/ 2

1933/celestial-chronicles-book-1-the-reaper-of-iremia

 **Simply remove the spaces and the link should take you there. I update it every day since it's already written, and I will really appreciate an honest feedback.**

 **Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. I took really great care crafting the fictional elven language presented here, a little basic it may be. For those who have read volume 2 of SAO Progressive, which this chapter loosely based off from, I know the language itself is not there. This s actually my way of testing it out since it is going to appear in my original series.**

 **On a side note, I hope I portrayed Kizmel as she was in the novels. I'll admit she was a little hard to write considering her origins. That bit about the elf commander is my own take on the plot, however, and expect more NPCs to behave different. Just for clarification, though. They are not and will never be Fluctlights like the ones shown in Alicization arc. This arc is inspired by the Progressive novels, after all. So forget about any characters from there appearing here aside from the first chapter.**

 **Have a wonderful holidays! See you in two months!**


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